Yubiwa
by Snowflake Flower
Summary: “Hitomi,” Van whispered softly to her, his bare hands gently holding her delicately smaller ones, “be my queen. Marry me.” Van/Hitomi, rated for explicit content.
1. Verse 1: A Burst Of Light

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 1: A Burst Of Light**

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_As my tears keep overflowing one after another,_

_I can't see your last smile through their blur._

_Please don't go, please don't go... Stay here._

_Light bursts through the sky_

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_It was so bright._

_The wind was whipping her hair around, her short sandy locks slapping her cheeks almost in defiance. She felt light-weighted, hovering in the air as her clothes billowed around her. For some reason, her arm was stretched out, tense like a board. Every muscle in her body was stiff, straining to reach for something she couldn't fathom. All her squinted eyes could make out was a blurred figure below her, arm also outstretched and his fingers inches from her own._

_There was something on her face, and without touching it she was able to recognize them as droplets of water. With a detached epiphany, she realized she was crying, whether in joy or sorrow she couldn't tell. As soon as they dripped down her chin, the liquid seemed to evaporate into thin air, carried away to disappear into the distance, just like she was doing. _

_The person below her had stayed rooted in one spot, a complete contrast to her ever-fading body. He began to come into focus. She could pick out a lanky figure, though slightly toned to show years of hardship. The figure was covered in clothes of bright red, beige, and brown. A sword was strapped to his belt, shining royal blue with golden outlines. His obsidian hair was wild, untameable and if he were not looking up, she was certain his crimson eyes would be shadowed. _

_The wind whipped faster around her body, and she slowly felt her body rise higher into the air. The tears began to blur her vision again, and as she climbed upwards into the clouds, he eventually faded out of her sight completely. _

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"Hitomi-chan! Wake up, it's already past ten!"

The room was somewhat dark, sunlight blocked by the cheerful blue curtains draped over the windows. Her door was cracked open slightly, allowing sound to travel easier around the house. Hitomi heard the stomping of her brother's feet run past her room and the smell of breakfast filtering through the house. Her nose wrinkled, and she could hear her stomach growl.

With a groan, Hitomi Kanzaki (because of Gaean customs, she started introducing herself in the western way, instead of the eastern way like she was taught to) blearily raised her head to look at the digital clock on the side of her bed. It was ten-fifteen, and Hitomi remembered that Amano was coming back today. He was coming back at eleven o'clock, and she had promised Yukari she would be over at the other girl's house by ten-thirty.

It took about a minute for that to sink in.

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"Mou, you are such a lazy butt sometimes Hitomi." Yukari scolded, jerking a brush through her hair as Hitomi easily manoeuvred her way across the roads and towards the airport. Yukari was still in the process of learning to drive (given she wasn't so good under pressure behind the wheel) so it was Hitomi's job to get Yukari to the airport and let her and Amano have their heartfelt reunion. The two of them haven't seen each other for four years if you omitted the occasional visit to Japan that Amano took. But now, he was permanently staying in Japan, so Hitomi had a feeling she would be hear wedding bells fairly soon.

Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief, parking in the lot and turning off the car. Driving still unnerved her very much; she was a little embarrassed to say she had gotten used to the strange airships, or leviships common on Gaea.

Her heart panged a little, remembering the bustling city she first arrived at after landing on the other planet. Hitomi wondered if it had been restored already, if it was back to the beautiful, breathtaking Fanelia she wanted to remember. The Zaibachian guymelefs were ruthless in their destruction of Van's homeland; Hitomi saw it firsthand. They had already started rebuilding Fanelia when she left, but Hitomi wished she could have seen it grow back into the nostalgic place where she first met all the people she held so close to her heart. Like Balgus, and Merle, and Folken.

Hitomi's lips curved down into a frown.

Like Van.

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"Okay, lets see. I've already got my clothes in there, my toiletries, the pictures I want all stuffed in an album, my track shoes and track clothes, and some candy for the trip there. Am I missing anything?" Hitomi asked herself, a new duffle bag sitting on her bed bulging with things she was going to bring to college with her. Her gaze immediately went to the locked drawer on her desk, which held the fated tarot cards from so long ago. She had given up telling fortunes since she was fifteen, and the past four years she had never given a thought to reading another fortune.

So why now, when she was almost nineteen and going off to college to start a new chapter of her life, was she compelled to do another reading?

Maybe… maybe because those cards were memories? Yes. They were memories. Beautiful, heartfelt, life-changing memories of that time four years ago. Memories that sometimes became painful, unbearable memories but nonetheless strengthening ones. Memories of times when she had done readings with those cards, and accidentally killed so many people… And yet, those cards also saved lives; so many lives. Lives that she could never possibly live without unless knowing they were safe… lives that had changed her for the better. A life that had given her such beautiful feelings…

Her throat closed up.

Hitomi's hands twitched, but she kept her feet firmly rooted on the spot. She had decided four years ago to let herself decide her own destiny. She made a vow to never pick up those cards again, to never cause grief or happiness to another persons life using her sixth sense. Hitomi saw the key to that drawer lying on a nearby dresser, and her eyes narrowed. Doing it quickly, so she wouldn't have second thoughts, Hitomi swiped it up and stomped over to her window, poking her head out to feel the cool breeze on her face and chucking the golden key as hard as she could.

Without bothering to look at where it landed, Hitomi ducked back inside, turned her back on the window, the golden key, and her tarot cards, and never looked back.

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There was something wrong.

"Hitomi?" her mother asked, touching her shoulder softly to jolt her out of her dazed state. "Hitomi, are you okay?" The girl with the extraordinary sixth sense blinked, looking over to her worried mother and shaking her head. A little sheepish smile was on her face, and she reached up to ruffle her sandy locks.

"Ah! Oh, um yeah. I was just… I suddenly got this…" Hitomi shook her head again, mostly for herself this time. It was as if she wanted to shake those thoughts away, even though in her heart she knew they would always be there at the back of her mind. Such was the curse of having a sixth sense. "Never mind, its nothing." Her mother looked a little sceptical, but dropped the subject and took out the soft picnic blanket, spreading it over the grassy ground and sifting through the basket she brought with her.

Releasing a breath she realized she had held in, Hitomi slowly made her way as close to the edge of the cliff as the fence allowed her. It was her birthday today, the day she officially turned nineteen. It was amazing how the years had gone by so quickly, now that she looked back on them. Her time on Gaea was her greatest treasure, and her most precious secret. Hitomi had a feeling her mother and Yukari and Amano knew, but they never broached the subject once. She was grateful they didn't.

Those memories were for her to relive again and again in her dreams and her thoughts, and no one else.

Hitomi smiled lightly, tilting her head up and letting the wind ruffle her hair and her clothes, dancing over her skin and sending ticklish tingles inside her. It was one of those beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime days with a blue, blue sky and the perfect blend of sun and wind. Not hot, nor cold. Not dark, nor bright. And to top it all off, it was Hitomi's birthday picnic with everyone she loved. To any other normal girl, this would be the perfect day ever, right?

But Hitomi wasn't like normal girls.

"Hey birthday girl!" Hitomi heard Yukari shout from beside her. Amano stood behind Yukari, giving Hitomi a gentle smile. It was the smile that four years ago she would've blushed and gotten flustered at, but her childish infatuation with Amano was long done and she merely felt a joy of seeing him again after so long. He had remained mostly the same, except for subtle changes in face and a shorter haircut. Runners had to keep their hair short to avoid obstacles in the way of their vision, so it wasn't a surprise when Hitomi saw his new haircut.

"Hi Yukari, Amano." Hitomi greeted, tucking her hands behind her back to link her fingers together. Yukari immediately pulled Hitomi into a conversation, and Hitomi was a little surprised when Amano actively participated. She was worried he would be left out while they talked girl stuff, but surprisingly he was joking around with the two of them. It was nice, Hitomi had thought. Yukari definitely picked a good one.

Her eyes softened somewhat as she watched the couple interact with each other. They were so sweet, so endearing to the other. Despite the fact they tried to hide it, Hitomi could see the little touches, the adoring tone they used with each other when they said something that was obviously private and between only the two of them. Even though four years ago Amano had shown an interest in Hitomi, you would've never thought it now looking at the both of them. His eyes were so filled with love when he gazed at Yukari, and she looked like she was dreaming, like she was in a fairytale and perfectly content to _stay _in that fairytale. It made Hitomi think… did she look like that when she thought of Van?

And before she knew it, everything went black.

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"_What…?" Hitomi whispered silently, a sense of dread looming up in her. She remembered this feeling. She remembered this __**place**__._

_Hitomi was having a vision. Of __**Gaea**__._

_She couldn't think straight, or more like wasn't given the chance to. A pair of crimson eyes (the ones she dreamt about too often, too fondly, and at the same time, too sadly) was staring at her. A smile blossomed on her face, and she stepped forward to reach a hand out to him._

"_Van!"_

_Only to have him turn his back and walk away._

_Hitomi felt her heart freeze._

_Then she heard the noise of the Fanelian marketplace. She could hear the normal sounds of people haggling prices, of mindless chatter with fellow neighbours or friends, of children laughing and playing while weaving through the crowds. She could hear it all, but see none of it. And that made her heart pang, liquid gathering upwards and spilling out her eyes, making trails of tears down her face. She was so confused, so alone, and so unsure of everything._

_Her heart throbbed so much to see Fanelia; to see __**Gaea**__. Her entire soul seemed to flash with pain as she recalled the cold shoulder Van had shown her; recalled it again and again and again until she was numb with hurt. Even though she stood wallowing in her misery, Hitomi could still hear the hustle and bustle of the marketplace._

_She could still hear the shrill scream of a woman breaking the noise like the crack of a whip._

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With a sharp intake of breath, Hitomi's vision became clear again, taking in the sight of Yukari, Amano, and her family hovering over her with worried expressions on their normally carefree faces. She was lying on the grass, near the cliffs where she assumed she had fainted. Her mother reached forward to cradle her cheek.

"Hitomi-chan, are you okay?" She asked hurriedly, panic lacing her voice. Hitomi blinked once, then twice. Her eyes were still dazed looking, before because she was having a vision, but now because she couldn't believe what she saw in her vision.

"I'm losing him." Hitomi whispered, so softly they had to strain to hear her. Yukari, Amano, and Hitomi's mother looked at each other, confused but having a theory as to what she was talking about. Her little brother and her father were clueless though.

"Hitomi, who are you losing?" her father asked, a hard edge to his voice. He was the standard overprotective father, believing his daughter should never date until he died and couldn't do anything about it. To hear out of her voice that sentence that sounded so lovesick and weepy, it made a dangerous, angry, uncertain feeling spread through him.

Hitomi sat up quickly, half-hearing his question. Pushing past everyone she cared for, Hitomi took off in a run and leapt over the fence that prevented people from getting too close to the edge of the cliff. Hitomi heard the cries of her family; of Yukari and Amano completely panicking about what she was going to do. But she ignored them; she blocked them out and only thought of that place where she felt _truly _at home. Of that place she helped save; of that man she loved.

"Gaea! Take me to Gaea!" Hitomi shouted at the top of her lungs, nearing the edge of the cliff and the rocky waves beneath it. Her family and friends continued to shout from a distance, only Amano gaining on her because of his training as a runner. But Hitomi had a head start. There was no way he could possibly catch her. So she wished and wished and wished with all her heart as the end of the ground came closer and closer.

Hitomi wished to see Fanelia, the beautiful city she had watched burn to the ground with her very eyes. Hitomi wished to see Merle, the infuriating but loyal cat-girl who pushed buttons on her that no one else could. Hitomi wished to see Chid and Freid and discover how the wonderful little boy had grown, the little boy whose fortune she told and whose trust she held. Hitomi wished to see Asturia and Millerna and Dryden and Allen, the people she began to trust with her life. The people who had grown on her so easily, had worked their way into her heart so quickly. But most of all?

"_**I want to see Van!**_"

Hitomi pushed off the edge of the cliff, throwing herself into the mercy of the sky, knowing the sky was a fickle, fickle thing and not prone to bouts of kindness or mercy. But thankfully, this particular day was what normal people would consider perfect, and though the sky was not a person it agreed wholeheartedly, and offered one merciful act to the girl who longed for a home other than the Mystic Moon.

It offered a pillar of blue light.

_

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A/N_ So, it is out! My first chapter of my 8 chapter long Escaflowne fanfic! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, so please bear with me! The poem/verse up at the top of the chapter is from the Escaflowne song Yubiwa, sung by Maaya Sakamoto. There will be a verse in her song in every chapter, and they all relate to the actual chapter, so please read them! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the first chapter, and enjoyed it enough to review! Pretty please? :3

Snowflake Flower


	2. Verse 2: Insignificant Me

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 2: Insignificant Me**

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_Even this insignificant me_

_Loved you more than anyone, with all my soul._

_Thank you for all of_

_The precious feelings_

_You've given to me._

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Hitomi didn't know she had fainted after that warm light surrounded her body, making her succumb to darkness. It worried her a little, suddenly waking up with no idea of where she was, and realizing what happened. Thankfully she didn't die from exposure to the elements, because her entire body was quite warm and she was now conscious. (A pinch on her cheek told her that much.) It didn't take long for it to sink in that Hitomi was lying in a soft feather mattress, snuggled up amongst comforters and blankets. In fact, she was starting to get a little _too _warm.

Groaning at the thought of having to leave the sanctity of the comfortable bed, Hitomi wiggled out of the heavy comforters and dangled her feet over the edge of the big mattress. It was so cold in the rest of the room, but Hitomi figured she needed to ascertain where she was before curling back up in the blankets and sleeping the rest of the night through. The curtains were closed, but Hitomi couldn't see light peeking through the bottoms or the sides, so she figured it was night and everyone was sleeping.

Taking slow steps as to not cause too much noise, Hitomi made her way over to the door that was positioned right in front of her bed. It was partially open, drawing her curiosity like a moth to flames. She could see the moonlight peeking through, illuminating the floor directly after it. As Hitomi slowly crept closer, she could hear heavy breathing coming from the other side. With a curious twist of her lips, she pulled the door open just a smidge, enough to peek her eyes through and get a general idea of who was there.

It was Van.

With a little leap of her heart, Hitomi smiled brightly and stepped fully into the room, alerting him to her presence. He was sleeping, but Hitomi supposed being a light sleeper was a trait of his he retained from the war. His eyes were wide, shocked when she fully came into view. Hitomi was still wearing her earth clothes, but they were rumpled and wrinkly from her sleep.

Walking close enough so one of them could touch the other, Hitomi swallowed nervously and opened her mysteriously parched mouth to whisper "Van?"

The result was instantaneous.

Van's hands reached out, and Hitomi was smothered in his arms, his skin almost burning hot and gripping her small back. The man's head rested near her shoulder, breath coming in heavy pants that tickled the nape of her neck. "Hitomi…" he rasped, hands traveling upwards to cup her face and angle it to look at him. She shivered, her forest green eyes locking onto his crimson ones. They were smouldering, the emotions so deep, so _intense_ that she felt her limbs give out on her. Van was swift, catching her with his arms and tugging her further onto the bed, splaying her over his body.

Hitomi flushed, her hands balancing her body by pressing into his bare chest. His skin was darker, tanner than she remembered it to be so many years ago. The colour was like a light bronze; it even seemed to _shine_ like it. His chest was also hard, the muscles rippling underneath the surface. He wound his arms around her, burying his face in her short hair. Van's large hands splayed completely over her back, almost drowning them in his embrace.

"Hitomi," he repeated, this time in a clearer voice. She blushed brightly, feelings his lips skim her neck and up her chin, her jaw, her cheeks to linger beside her mouth. "Hitomi…" She held in a breath, waiting and anticipating the feel of his mouth on hers. Unfortunately, it never came.

"Van-sama!"

The door slammed open, an adult cat-woman barging into the room and blushing slightly as she saw the position her lord and the girl he picked up were in. Hitomi shot off of the King of Fanelia, scooting to the far end of the king size bed. Her blush turning to one of embarrassment now (and spreading to reach down to her neck and past her hairline), Hitomi quickly stumbled off the bed, narrowly avoiding Van's grasping hands and rushing into the adjoining room she emerged from, slamming the door and sending an echo through the room.

Van groaned, sliding a hand through his tousled obsidian bangs. Merle continued to glare at him.

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Hitomi lie awake in bed as the first few rays of the sun filtered past what they could of the curtains covering the windows. After the incident a few hours beforehand, Hitomi couldn't get to sleep, thinking about those few moments she spent so intimately with Van and the instant Merle caught them. He was so close; _so close_ Hitomi could almost _see _the stars that would dance behind her closed eyelids when their lips touched. She could almost _feel_ the shivers it would send through her body. If only Merle hadn't walked in… if only!

Sighing, Hitomi threw an arm over her eyes and groaned, pushing the covers off to sit up and look around the room. It was still fairly dark, but the light was strong and Hitomi could make out a couple things in the room she hadn't noticed before. A lounging chair and a pile of books on a bookshelf near the door, a set of doors leading to a balcony that were mostly covered by curtains, the little brunch table in another corner, the fireplace on the other side of the room, another set of doors on the wall her bed was pushed up against… there was so much, and even in the dark it still looked so glamorous.

A quiet knock on the door startled Hitomi out of her skin, making her jolt and gasp with lost breath. Hitomi, sensing the person on the other side of the door wasn't going to call out to her, she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off. This time, by what she could tell as Merle's voice. And Hitomi noted that it still sounded very much like the Merle from four years ago, just more mature and confident.

"Hitomi! Get your butt up, we have things to do!" Merle shouted from the other side of the door, and Hitomi squealed when the door suddenly burst open, Merle standing on the other side with her mouth twisted downwards and her eyes narrowed. Hitomi clutched the bed sheets to her chest, glaring at the cat-girl – no, _woman_. (Though that made no sense, since Merle was supposed to be seventeen. Maybe cat-humans aged faster?)

"Merle!" Hitomi shouted, her blush coming back as she remembered yesterday. "Honestly, do you have a habit of barging into people's rooms like that?" she asked smarmily. Merle just turned her nose up at Hitomi for that particular comment, sticking her tongue out. Hitomi chuckled just a little, her face lighting up. Yep, same old Merle.

"For your information," Merle started, putting her hands on her now curvy hips and sauntering over with all the slinkiness Naria (at the remembrance of the cat-woman, Hitomi's heart panged a little) possessed, "it is only ever a habit when it includes anyone with whom I have a close connection to." Her voice was distant, almost cold and portrayed the sense of a person of high status, and an even higher pride. Hitomi was a little unnerved, seeing the sudden transition Merle went through. But then the old Merle was back, mischievous cat smile and all (her tail was even flicking playfully).

"Anyways," Merle said in a louder than average voice (she always used to talk like that though), "Van-sama is waiting in the dining room to eat breakfast with you." Here, her smile turned sincere and joyful. "We have a _lot _to talk about."

Hitomi couldn't help but agree.

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"Wine, your majesty?"

Van, seated at the head of the incredibly long table (a dark oak polished to shine) held his hand up to decline the alcoholic beverage. It would not do well to be intoxicated while he was with Hitomi. Thinking to last night (or really, what he could remember of it given his mind could only conjure up flashes of Hitomi's beautiful green eyes), Van groaned and blushed slightly, reinforcing his earlier thoughts. _Definitely _a bad idea.

The opening doors made his attention perk, and he saw Merle hop happily into the room, her tail waving behind her in contentment. Van smiled as he saw her walk in, wondering (as he often did) when she had grown up so quickly. Merle was not the little girl from all those years ago. She had grown splendidly, filling out with a curvaceous body that Van often had to fend off other males (non-cat and all) to getting to. Let some stupid boy take advantage of his little sister? No chance in hell. Then again, it wasn't too much of a surprise for men to want her. Besides her killer figure, Merle's hair had also lengthened to swish around her shoulders, maintaining their waviness. Her eyes grew even sharper, both physically and mentally speaking. Van had trained her well in combat, wanting to make sure she could defend herself if he wasn't there to do it for her. After getting attacked in a couple dark alleyways at night on her way back to the castle and turning in those awful men who even _thought _of trying to take advantage of her, Merle had gained a reputation as a hellcat.

Merle caught his eye, and she smiled knowing the thoughts going through his head. Van just shrugged, and Merle gestured to the person still on the other side of the door. The King of Fanelia's heart jumped, seeing _her _finally walk into the room.

She hadn't changed a bit. Of course, there was the better way she carried herself (the aura of a person who had gone through a life-changing experience, but he was sure he had that aura as well) and a more wise and mature gleam in her eye, but for the most part she was almost exactly the same Hitomi he had remembered from before. Short hair, shining inquisitive forest green eyes, fair skin and a petite build but strong, toned legs. Same walk, and as he would discover later, same talk, same old Hitomi.

Well, _old _doesn't seem appropriate. She looked very young. Too young…

"Van."

His eyes focused, and a light smile graced his lips as he saw Hitomi looking at him a little uncertainly, a blush staining her cheeks. No doubt she was still thinking of last night, what with the way her curled fingers fidgeted with each other. Van stood, gesturing to the seat beside him on the right, the smile never leaving his face. Merle giggled behind her hand, bounding over to the seat on Van's left and tackling the breakfast one of the servants left on the table for her. (Fish… yummmm…)

"Hitomi." Van greeted, nodding his head as she drew closer. She was a little surprised and caught off guard when one of his servants pulled the chair out for her, and he wondered what the culture was like on the Mystic Moon. Van, after seeing the maid bringing her breakfast, merely waited quietly as Hitomi tried out her food. As king, Van usually woke up very early everyday and had his breakfast in his study. Sitting at the head of the table during actual breakfast hours was more of a formality, especially since he had a guest.

Merle jolted him out of his train of thought when she nudged him, gesturing sharply to Hitomi, who was still slightly poking at her food. (She had no idea what was what.) Van glared at Merle half-heartedly, getting a tongue stuck out at him in return before he turned to Hitomi and his gaze softened. His elbow resting on his armrest, Van cushioned his chin on his hand and leaned a little closer to the girl from the Mystic Moon.

"So, Hitomi…" Van started casually, jumping a little when she reacted violently, her fork slipping out of her hand and clattering on the dish before plummeting to the floor. A maid quickly scuttled forward, taking it out of the way as a waiter gave Hitomi another fork to replace the one she dirtied.

"Ah!" Hitomi cried, her hand on her chest to calm her raging heart. She was so focused on the food she forgot about him for a moment. "S-sorry Van." Hitomi said sheepishly. "I zoned out." Van shook his head, obsidian hair shaking messily as he smiled and chuckled at her purity. She was so adorable sometimes he could just sweep her up in his arms and-

Well, he'd better not go there.

"Its fine, Hitomi." Van told her, watching her go back to eating her food. "As I was saying, how did you come back to Gaea?" Hitomi looked up, a little startled at the question. She was, in fact, also a little confused about how she got here. Her eyes flickered to the pendant hanging on Van's neck, the one she gave him all those years ago before she left. Vaguely, Hitomi remembered he was wearing them last night too when…

Hitomi blushed severely, ducking her head back down to get rid of those thoughts. Merle and Van looked at her a little strangely, but just shrugged it off as some weird Mystic Moon thing.

"Um… I actually don't know." Hitomi confessed, her ears burning. "I wished really hard to come back, but my powers aren't that strong on Earth, so I thought maybe it was _you _who brought me back, considering you have my pendant and everything…" Hitomi trailed off, looking up to see Van's face darken and Merle's head hang down. A sudden icy feeling spread over her heart, and she dreaded knowing the reason for their unexpected reaction.

"Van-sama… did you really-," Merle started, but was cut off when Van slammed his hand down on the table, scaring Hitomi and frightening Merle until she began to tremble ever so slightly. Van stood up so quickly Hitomi was surprised he didn't trip and fall over, before he made his way around the table and towards the door that led to the hallway. The waiters stepped forward to clean the spills made from the dishes and cups after the shockwave on the table.

"I just remembered something I have to do." Van said curtly, not turning to look back at the two females seated at the table. "Hitomi, sorry about cutting our meeting short. I'll arrange another time for us to get caught up." Hitomi had just started to reply that it was okay, and she understood his pressure as a king, and that she would be waiting for his message when he opened the door and slammed it shut, letting the sound echo through the room. Hitomi shivered, sensing feelings of doom creep up along her spine and over her shoulders until they made their ways to the tips of her toes and the ends of her hair. Merle stayed silent for a while across from her, still looking down at her lap with her pink hair covering her face. Hitomi leaned forward, reaching out to her with one of her hands. She pulled back when Merle's head suddenly shot up, her smile wide and joyful.

"Don't worry, Van-sama is just a little snappy today." Merle assured, standing up. They both knew that was a lie, because when she had walked in today and saw him, he was exuding an excruciatingly happy aura. Hitomi just let it slide, knowing she'd find out sooner or later today. She didn't have a sixth sense for nothing.

"It's fine." Hitomi answered to quell Merle's heart. The cat-woman suddenly grinned with excitement, dashing over to the other side of the table to grab Hitomi's arm and force her to stand up. "Whoa! Merle, what's going on?" she asked, being dragged out the door by an overexcited feline human. Merle looked back, winking and sticking her tongue out.

"You'll see." She answered.

Hitomi gulped.

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"Van's room?" Hitomi murmured slightly, standing in front of the large doors. It was polished to shine (much like the table) and quite devoid of lavish decorations. Simple and clean, just like Van, Hitomi had to think. She smiled a little, wondering at how such strange things reminded her so much of him. Hitomi's train of thought was broken when Merle grabbed her tiny wrist, pulling her into the now open doors. "Whoa! Merle, wait, what if Van's in there?" She asked, resisting futilely as Merle had become _much _stronger than her.

"Don't worry," Merle reassured the struggling seer. "Van-sama went to his study. He only ever comes into his room to sleep." There was a little pause after she finished her sentence, and Hitomi thought Merle was going to say more, but the cat-woman just kept silent. Instead, she opted to throw Hitomi in front of a large trunk at the foot of Van's bed (the memories of last night she was desperately trying to push away) and snicker with amusement at an inside joke.

"Behold!" Merle exclaimed in an announcer-like voice, throwing the trunk open for Hitomi to peer inside at the contents. A stifled gasp escaped her lips and she saw one lone item sitting innocently inside the chest, as worn and nostalgic as she remembered it four years ago.

"My duffel bag!" Hitomi exclaimed, her hands shooting inside to haul it out of the chest and clutch it to her. "Oh wow! You kept it all this time?" she asked, turning her head up to Merle in question. The cat-woman snorted in a way reminiscent of the younger Merle, turning her nose up and letting her tail flick haughtily.

"I voted that we throw it out, since there wasn't anything in there useful to us." Hitomi glared at Merle, until seeing her lips curve into a smirk and realizing the other female was joking with her. "But _Van-sama _insisted that it be preserved 'just in case'." Hitomi smiled softly, looking down at her duffel bag and letting her fingers stroke the material, marvelling at how well it was taken care of. She blushed a little, happy that Van kept a memento of her so close to him.

Opening the duffel bag (and relishing in the sound of the zipper as she opened it), Hitomi dug through her bag and brought out countless things she had needed to replace after returning from the Mystic Moon. Her moisturizing lotions, shampoo bottles, CD players, school clothes, track outfits, etc. The list went on and on as she brought item after item out, making Merle wonder if the bag had a limit capacity _at all_. The cat-woman just watched quietly as Hitomi's scent of nostalgia and happiness grew, sitting on the floor and curiously sniffing everything from the duffel bag. Van never let her touch the bag to look inside of it after Hitomi left.

Hitomi, seeing everything in the bag already out on the floor of Van's room, sighed in contentment and began to pack it all inside the duffel bag again. Her eyes shined as she watched the bag slowly fill up, and then she zipped it closed once more before heaving it all into the trunk again. Merle stood up quickly, tail twitching as she watched Hitomi.

"Aren't you going to take it back?" Merle asked, wondering why she had gone through all that trouble to show Hitomi her possessions in the first place. Hitomi smiled gently, not looking at Merle but instead at the trunk she had just closed moment's prior. Her hands lingered on the wooden chest with the intricate drawings, tracing her fingers along a few of them. Looking up, Hitomi turned her head to meet Merle's eyes.

"I think… I think its better off this way, letting them stay as memories." The seer told the cat-woman. "We've put the war behind us, Merle. It's been four years now; none of us should have to dwell on it anymore. At least, not everyday of our lives." Hitomi chuckled, turning to look back at the trunk. Merle's eyebrow rose, and she leaned forward to stare Hitomi in the eye. "What?" the girl from the Mystic Moon spoke up, a little unnerved by Merle's gleaming eyes.

"Is your head on straight, Hitomi?" Merle asked, sparking an immediate furious response from the seer. Merle winced a little at her indignant "of course it is!" before cutting in while putting a hand on her hip, her tail flicking in confusion. "Well, do you have a problem with counting or something? The war with Zaibach was over _ten years ago_."

She had barely registered the phrase, and the annoyed pout on her face only fell after she ran through the sentence a few times in her head.

"_WHAT?!_"

Merle covered her ears, face twisted in minor pain. That _hurt_.

"I _**said**_," Merle snarled, a little touchy because her ears were ringing now, "the war with Zaibach ended _TEN YEARS AGO_."

Hitomi, eyes wide with shock, stared at the older Merle standing in front of her nursing one of her ears. She noticed how much Merle had grown, which was a little too fast for just four years. The cat-woman was too mature to be merely seventeen. She should've still looked like a teenager reaching the brink of adulthood and finally crossing that thin line, but Hitomi now noticed she looked _too _adult to be seventeen. Unless… maybe cat-humans grew differently? But that wasn't it, since Merle looked exactly like a thirteen year old should when Hitomi was last on Gaea.

Quickly, Hitomi grabbed Merle's arm and gave her a hard stare, her curiosity eating away at her. Merle jolted a little at being grabbed (having it happen to her in a dark alleyway late at night), but knew it was Hitomi so her right hook didn't come straight at the seer's face.

"Merle," Hitomi said urgently, sweating a little as she dreaded the answer to her question, "how old are you?" Deep in her mind, she had already done the calculations but she didn't want to accept them unless she had a clear answer from the cat-woman herself. Merle just gave her a weird look, letting the hand rubbing her furry ear fall.

"Twenty-three."

Hitomi's mouth went dry, and she struggled to ask the next question.

"And Van?"

Merle rose a brow, wondering why Hitomi didn't know the answer, given she was supposed to be the same age as the King of Fanelia.

"Twenty-five."

Van walked in at that moment, having calmed down and gone looking for the two of them. Hitomi whirled around as she heard him come in, eyes wide with shock as she generously took in the view of a twenty-five year old Van Fanel.

"Hitomi?" Van questioned, wondering why she was staring at him like he was the end of the world. Merle peeked around her shoulder, shrugging as Van's eyes turned to her for explanations. Neither of them expected Hitomi to pitch forward at the next second in a dead faint.

...

...

...

Hitomi groaned, her eyes scrunching together as she wearily blinked her eyes open. Van and Merle's faces were hovering above her, concerned but breathing sighs of relief as she came to. Slowly sitting up (with some help from Van), Hitomi looked at Merle (standing on the right side of the bed) and Van (standing on the left side of the bed) as she recalled what happened before she sunk into unconsciousness. After a couple more blinks to focus both her eyes and her brain, Hitomi sucked in a sharp breath, making Van and Merle immediately anxious again.

"Hitomi?" Van asked, his voice low and soothing as he reached out to brush aside a few of her stray bangs. "Are you okay?" Merle watched Hitomi's reaction, her entire body freezing up before slumping tiredly as she let out a groan. Van, almost panicking, reached out again to cup the back of her neck and angle her head to look at him. His other hand lay beside her right hip, the hip closest to the middle of the bed. If Hitomi weren't so out-of-sorts, she would've noticed that his face was unbearably close to hers.

"I'm nineteen." Hitomi said, a little bit in tears. "_I'm younger than Merle!_"

The two Gaeans looked at each other in alarm, the pieces finally clicking into place. Hitomi looked so young because she _was _young! She hardly changed at all because she hardly _aged _at all. Merle was suddenly hit with the full force of the words, sniggering as her tail wiggled behind her in triumph. Hitomi looked up, glaring at the cat-woman.

"You aren't my senior!" Merle guffawed. "Ha! The great Seer from the Mystic Moon is younger than a cat-woman!" Van cut in at this point, hoping to make Hitomi feel better about being younger than Merle (and being _way_ younger than him).

"But Hitomi will live longer than us." He pointed out.

Merle stuck her tongue out at her king, teasing him about being a party-pooper. The three of them just laughed, Hitomi's shock wearing off gradually as she realized it wasn't too much to be made a big deal about. It was just a little surprising, having realized the differences between Gaea and Earth. As Hitomi thought more about it, she figured that if she continued to stay on Gaea, by the time she was an old lady, her mom would be one too! It was a hilarious sight in her head no doubt.

"Lord Van."

Hitomi peeked past Van's shoulder to look at the doorway, and her breath disappeared.

A woman stood there, her lustrous, long light brown hair wavy and swishing all the way to her hips. It was half done up, sprinkling little curls of hair across her cheeks and sides of her face. The colour of her eyes was a jade green, twinkling at the light shining dimly on it. She wore a beautiful gown, accentuating all her right curves and making Hitomi's heart pang in jealous of her delicate-looking figure. If she wasn't so beautiful, if Hitomi hadn't come from the Mystic Moon and she from Gaea,

They could've been twins.

There were differences, of course, but very small ones. Her lips were plumper and (dare she say it) more _kissable_-looking than Hitomi's, and her nose was rounder and more elegant. Her eyes showed years more wisdom and maturity than Hitomi, more intelligence and gentleness. The way she carried herself was a stark contrast to Hitomi, as she looked poised and refined, noble confidence oozing from every part of her body. In addition to that, her _chest _was bigger too! Really, the only thing they had in common was hair colour, eye colour, and the features of their face, but _even then_ this other woman stumped Hitomi in all three categories! Light make-up was brushed on her face, making her look much more beautiful than Hitomi ever could (but even without make-up, Hitomi was sure this version of her was prettier).

And as Hitomi turned the newly discovered information in her head, she realized that everything about this double of hers perfectly matched those traits of a queen.

Her fists tightened on the sheets beneath her.

"Ophelia." Van spoke up, making Hitomi twitch. (Even her _name _sounded beautiful!) The Hitomi-look-alike (or was it the other way around?) stepped further into the room, stepped closer to _Van_ and lay her hand gently on his shoulder. The seer struggled to keep her composure; Merle reached out to pat down Hitomi's trembling hands in order to help. "Hitomi, you haven't been introduced yet. This is Ophelia, a friend of mine." Ophelia smiled kindly at Hitomi, who pursed her lips and nodded in greeting.

"A friend is much too intimate, Lord Van." Ophelia said, only Merle noticing Hitomi's hands twitch a little more violently under her hands. "I am merely Lord Van's most recently hired humble servant." Hitomi offered a strained smile at the (no doubt) older woman, bowing her head a little.

"It's nice to meet you." Hitomi replied, staring into Ophelia's eyes. "I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, from the Mystic Moon." At hearing her name, Ophelia gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

"The seer that saved us all…" she breathed, before gracefully dipping into a low curtsy as a sign of respect. "I am most honoured to be in your presence, Wing Goddess Hitomi." Hitomi's hostility for Ophelia went away (for the moment) when she heard the peculiar title Ophelia called her. Hitomi looked to Merle and Van for answers, the two of them avoiding her eyes in sheepishness. Ophelia just smiled knowingly (which made Hitomi's annoyance for her come back) as she explained the addition of the title. "When Lord Van carried you back from Zaibach, the people began to refer to you as the Wing Goddess, in reference to your control over the last living draconian." Van, seeing Hitomi's questioning gaze again, coughed and brought Ophelia's attention back to him.

"So, what did you need me for?" he asked, and Ophelia gasped again. (Hitomi was getting tired of that, but then again everything the other woman did tired her.) She quickly grasped his arm (which made Hitomi's fists tighten again) and led him to the door.

"My king, the council has called an urgent meeting about the Zaibach rebellions."

And this time, Hitomi lost her voice for a totally different reason, only to gain it back with a venomous lining.

"_What?_"

...

...

...

"They've already started large-mass attacks in Asturia!"

"There are rumours of an entire army joining together between Fanelia and Asturia!"

"King Van, we _must _dispose of them before they become any more of a threat!"

Hitomi sat a little unnervingly on Van's right at the round meeting table. When she demanded to know what was going on, he had dragged her into the meeting to let her get a clearer idea of what the rebellions were about. He briefly told her the back-story of the rebellion in clipped tones as they marched down the hallway to the audience room.

...

"_Since the war with Zaibach ended, all the countries that lent their strength held a meeting and agreed to split the country of Zaibach into land grants as a sort of reward or compensation. To assure proper assimilation, each country sent portions of their own people to settle in the lands that once belonged to Zaibach, and sent a few former Zaibachians to settle in the actual country they now belonged in. Unfortunately, what we didn't predict were Zaibachians still loyal to Dornkirk, and they've been stirring up trouble in all the countries. We would've arrested them, but they've been able to slip out of our grasps every time. All the countries, including Fanelia, are at a point of clueless-ness."_

_Hitomi, struggling to keep up with Van's fast pace, then turned her head to look up at him, a grim line settling over her mouth._

"_And that's where I come in, right?"_

_Van looked at her, his eyes softening guiltily._

"_I'm s-,"_

_She held a hand up to shush him._

"_Don't even say it Van." Hitomi snapped, her forest green eyes narrowing as she finally began to match his pace. "I figured I wasn't called here for a social visit." Hitomi didn't look at Van, so she didn't see the hurt expression flitting across his face. He would've said something to prove her wrong, but they had already reached the doors of the audience room, and were quickly ushered in by Ophelia._

...

Which brought them to this point in time; the council members absolutely distressed about the Zaibach rebels.

Hitomi pouted a little, zoning out as they continued to inanely discuss (read: shout) about what they were supposed to be doing about the rebellions. Grumpily, Hitomi whispered under her breath so no one except Van and Merle (and by extension, Ophelia because she was standing near Van) could hear. Merle snickered at her, "so why don't you shut up and actually _do _something about it?" and Hitomi could see one of Van's lips quirk up in a smirk. Ophelia remained soft smiling from her position beside Van, which made Hitomi's fists clench under the table.

The other woman was standing up, behind Van's seat as if she was his shadow. It made Hitomi wonder, given four years ago (for her, at least) how Merle felt about that. The cat-woman used to be attached to Van like a second skin so to have someone (kind of) take her place was a big difference. Instead… strangely enough Merle seemed to be following _Hitomi _all over the place. Companionship, maybe? Van was busy as a king; perhaps Merle was lonely?

Her attention was drawn back to the council members, all of them looking expectantly at Van. Hitomi sat up a little straighter, not wanting to seem disinterested and disrespectful to the rest of the powerful council (not that they could touch her, since she had the full support of both Van and the rest of Gaea. Being Wing Goddess didn't seem so bad anymore…). Van stood up, hand instinctively going to the royal blue sword strapped to his belt. It wasn't a threat, just a sign of leadership, since his sword was the official symbol of the King of Fanelia.

"The rebels will be disposed of." Van said clearly, authoritatively. "The Zaibach rebellions are the reason the Wing Goddess," Hitomi blushed here, trying to hide her face "has been called back to Gaea. She will rid us of the slowly rising threat, and peace can finally be restored to Gaea, that I assure you." The council members then all looked excitedly at Hitomi, who pursed her lips and tried to mask her feelings of embarrassment. Honestly, Wing Goddess? Couldn't they at least have picked a better title?

"Then, Wing Goddess, we shall lean on you to guide us." The head council member said, standing up and bowing. All the other council members followed suit, standing up in order of rank and bowing low to Hitomi, who sat there and blushed red to the roots of her hair. She waved her hands around, desperately trying to get them to stop.

"O-oh! Um, of course." Hitomi replied. "I'll, uh, find those Zaibach rebels and shove my foot where the sun don't shine!" After a few seconds of the council members staring at her strangely, and Merle and Van desperately trying to smother their laughter, Hitomi burned a brighter red and sunk a little lower in her seat. "Where's a beam of blue light when you need one?" she murmured pitifully.

...

...

...

The marketplace was quite crowded, people pushing and shoving and yelling at the top of their voices. Little children were running, bumping into people's legs and apologizing quickly before continuing to run off. A few of them crashed into Hitomi's legs, looking up to apologize. Most of them ran off to continue their game, but one stayed to stare curiously at her face. Hitomi blinked, crouching down to be a little closer in level to the girl as she called out a name.

"Ophelia?"

Hitomi winced at the sound of that _woman's_ name in comparison to the sound of her young _girlish_ name. She reached out, taking the little girl's hand and smiling brightly but kindly, masking her feelings of dread and jealousy. If she had lived on Gaea like _Ophelia _had, maybe she wouldn't be having this problem. Maybe she would've been able to prevent Ophelia's coming at _all_. Maybe she would be Van's shadow instead of her doppelganger. Just maybe.

"No, my name is Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki."

And the little girl's eyes widened. Her voice suddenly got very quiet, and she leaned forward to look Hitomi in the eye. A few of her friends were coming back to look for her, given Hitomi heard some kids screaming a name from up ahead, and steadily becoming louder as the seconds ticked by.

"Are you the Wing Goddess?" The little girl asked. Hitomi blinked in surprise, but smirking ruefully she nodded and winked at the younger female. One of her fingers came up to press vertically against her lips, making a shushing sound.

"But no one knows, so don't tell anyone, okay? It'll be our little secret."

Excited at the prospect of sharing a secret with the esteemed Wing Goddess, the young girl flew away as Hitomi pushed her towards her friends, giggling madly as her little yellow dress flowed behind her, chubby arms clinging to a brown teddy bear. Hitomi stood up, stretching her legs and waving as Merle came back with an angry scowl on her face. Hitomi smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head as the cat-woman came to a stop in front of her.

"Honestly Hitomi, how are we supposed to get new clothes for you if you _aren't there _when we're picking out clothes?!" Merle exclaimed, grabbing Hitomi and dragging the seer away to the seamstress shop she was just at. Ophelia had been instructed by Van to follow along and keep watch over the gold Merle was spending (not that he cared how much money she wasted, since to him Hitomi deserved all the clothes in the world and more). Truthfully though? It was a guise for Ophelia's real mission, which was to make sure Hitomi assimilated well into the Fanelian society, and make sure she stayed happy and was kept comfortable. He said that way maybe she'd stay on Gaea _for good_.

It's amazing how totally and completely clueless two people in love could be, huh?

Hitomi grunted, being shoved in to the seamstress room and being forced to stand on a short but sturdy wooden box. For an hour or so, Hitomi wisely kept her mouth shut as the seamstress' in the store measured almost every part of her body that could be measured, forcing her to try on some blueprint gowns to get a feel for what type of dress she could fit into. A couple of them were very light and flowing; others tight and heavy and then the odd pair of pants (probably riding pants) and under clothes. When Hitomi was finally allowed to step off the pedestal, Merle had already launched into a lengthy and heated debate over the colours of dresses, the types of fabric and so on and so forth. Ophelia, on the other side of the room, was quietly discussing payment with the cashier in the store, looking slightly nervous as the woman named off the prices.

Hitomi took a little time to observe Ophelia, her mouth pursing in a grim line. Even after so many years of pining after him Hitomi could see why he had moved on so quickly. Her doppelganger (or was Hitomi the clone?) was more suited to the stressful lifestyle of the noble and powerful individuals of the Fanelian Royal Court. After the rebellions are disbanded and the rebels arrested, Hitomi was positive she would just become an extra mouth to feed in the castle, an extra body to clothe, an insignificant soul in the world of Gaea; in the world of Van.

'_An insignificant me._'

Deciding she needed some air, Hitomi slipped out silently in a very cat (or Merle) like way and lost herself in the crowd once more. She sighed, mentally remarking this wasn't what she meant by fresh air. Pushing past many, _many _people, Hitomi gasped and finally was able to get out of the crowds by ducking into a little store that made Fanelian sweets. At least, that was what Hitomi was able to gather since she smelled all the delicious sugary delights. There was a woman behind the counter, smiling at Hitomi as she walked in, no doubt thinking it was Ophelia. There were only two other people in the store aside from the counter girl and Hitomi. A cute young girl, fiddling with a few coins, trying to decide which candy she wanted to buy, and an older man looking at a box of some indigenous Fanelian sweet, probably for his wife or something.

Hitomi pursed her lips, eyes sweeping over the entire store as she wondered at all the lovely confectionaries. Some looked like chocolate from earth, but Hitomi was sure it had differences because this was Gaea and not the Mystic Moon. There were other peculiar looking pastries, strangely formed and some of them _glowing_, others multi-coloured (and to Hitomi's eyes) looking a little nauseous. Rubbing her head and wondering why she ducked in here in the first place, Hitomi quietly slipped out into the crowds once more, huffing and puffing as she pushed and wedged and stepped aside.

Hitomi finally made her way closer to the dress shop she left Merle and Ophelia in, a little smile breaking over her lips as she did so. They were probably panicking right now, absolutely scared for their lives since they let her get away. Hitomi chuckled to herself, knowing she was in for a big lecture when she walked in, but didn't regret it. It was nice to have some time to herself just to think.

Running a hand through her hair, Hitomi picked her pace up a little until she saw a little girl tearing up at the corner of the street, looking up at the small teddy bear nestled on the end of a gutter. Slowing down a little, Hitomi veered off to the right and shuffled closer to the little girl, recognizing her as the one she bumped into earlier today.

"Wing Goddess-san…" the little girl sniffled, looking at Hitomi with teary eyes. The seer's heart went out to her, and she smiled confidently and patted the young girl's head.

"Don't worry, I'll get it." Hitomi said, her heart lighting up as the girl brightened, her mouth blossoming in a smile. Looking around, Hitomi dragged a box over to be able to get a boost, stepping onto the wooden crate and stretching her arm as high as it would go. She grunted, her arm not long enough as she realized she still had a metre before she could reach it. Pursing her lips, Hitomi went on the tips of her toes to see if that would help, but obviously it couldn't. Huffing in irritation, Hitomi quickly bent her knees and jumped, the wooden crate obviously not as strong as she anticipated because it broke when she pushed off of it. On a good note, Hitomi was able to fully grab the teddy bear, bringing it down with her.

Unfortunately, that was where everything good ended.

As Hitomi jumped up, she felt something pierce the back of her thigh, making the muscles clench around it and warm trickles of her red blood spill out. Vaguely, Hitomi heard the young girl scream loudly, attracting the attention of everyone within hearing range (probably including Merle and Ophelia). After she took hold of the teddy bear, Hitomi began to fall backwards, her own short cry bursting from her mouth until she hit the ground. The dagger that was lodged in the back of her thigh was only pushed further in when her back crashed to the floor, her legs following her torso. It caused a hoarse, pain-filled scream to erupt.

Absentmindedly that familiar feeling of déjà vu swept into her mind.

Quickly, Hitomi turned on her side, choking on her own spit as she truly began to register the pain throbbing horribly at the back of her leg. She felt more of her legs become coated with a warm, sticky liquid that she soon identified as her own blood, and tears began to fill her eyes from the sheer pain. The teddy bear lay in front of her, rolling off and being kicked back as the little girl dropped to her knees in front of Hitomi.

"Wing Goddess-san!" She whimpered, soon after being pulled away by an adult who Hitomi didn't recognize. Distantly, Hitomi heard people shouting for a doctor, each of them frantic and many still in shock. It wasn't until Merle came bursting through the crowd (Ophelia close behind) that the people really started to get things done. Merle had taken complete control over the situation, barking orders for a physician and someone to run to the castle to inform Van of the incident.

Hitomi didn't register Merle turning her onto her stomach, but she _did _register Merle yanking the dagger out of her thigh, making Hitomi break out in another horrifying scream. She was quickly losing consciousness, her vision flickering and gradually fading. Hazily, Hitomi could hear Merle begging her to stay awake, to keep her eyes open until they could get her proper medical treatment.

It was futile.

...

...

...

The sun was setting in rays of orange and gold, casting a yellow glow into the room. A large bed was partially lit up by the glow filtering in through the windows, turning the colour of the pristine white blankets into a sickly yellow. Hitomi was slumbering soundly under those covers, her breath coming raggedly as Van sat at her bedside. His knees supported the elbows he had propped onto them, his hands cupped together and his chin resting on his hands in contemplation. The draconian's crimson eyes studied Hitomi meticulously; the leg with her injury elevated by stacks of pillows.

Van reached forward, lightly brushing her stray bangs away. Slowly, the bare palm of his hand rested on her cheek, and the young woman unconsciously leaned into it. The side of her mouth briefly grazed his hand, and Van took his hand off her cheek to rub his thumb over her lower lip.

"Van-sama?"

The Fanelian king didn't react at all to the newcomers, his eyes still trained solely on Hitomi lying in the bed. His back was to the door, so he couldn't see Merle's trembling form and the shadowed green eyes of his stewardess, Ophelia.

The silence and tension was thick, and the only person who seemed to notice it was Hitomi. Even in her deep, drugged sleep she could feel the palpable emotions running high in the room. There was bitter regret, tantalizing fear, and just a hint of underlying fury that she could almost taste in her mouth. In response Hitomi moaned softly, her sleep disturbed.

"Leave."

The word was spoken so softly that normally no one but Van could hear it. But Merle's sensitive ears picked up on the dismissal, and she quietly led her companion out of the room, her form shaking visibly harder. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and the room became a little lighter. It was as if all the intense emotions had escaped with Merle and Ophelia. As if feeling the change again, Hitomi sighed what almost was a breath of relief, her head lolling to the side.

Van reached out, as if he wanted to grab her and never let go, but he stopped himself in time. With his hand whispers away from her sandy locks, the king switched his intents to merely caressing the soft skin of her cheek, allowing himself the tiniest of smiles as she leaned towards his warmth. Every cell in his body was calling to him, telling him to do more than just a hand on her cheek. Deep inside of him, in the most primal part of his soul, something begged Van to climb into the bed and embrace Hitomi with all his might.

Flashes of memories blurred through his crimson eyes. He could hear the frantic screaming and yelling of his royal physician as she thundered down the halls of the palace, barking orders left and right. He could taste his own fear as the coppery scent of blood made its way to him; even worse when he could _see _the blood that trickled to the floor in waves, coating all of Hitomi's legs in its gory atrocity.

"Hitomi…" He breathed, and his heart began to thud faster as the lids of her eyes fluttered open. Her drowsy, forest green eyes flickered up to him, lips parted as she breathed steadily.

"Van…" Hitomi whispered. "Van?" A little more awake now, but still not by much, she attempted to sit up, only to be pushed back down by a pair of strong, warm hands. Van's hands. Hitomi wasn't registering his soothing whispers, his comforting murmurs. She could only blindly reach up with her own hand, releasing them from the inside of the blanket to lace her fingers with his.

"I'm here, Hitomi." Van said once more, his chest tightening as he saw her bring their entwined hands closer to the soft breaths coming from her lips. A single tear worked its way from her eye down to her chin, dropping on one of Van's fingers. "Hitomi?" He asked, worried now at the display of her grief.

"His name is Folken." She said, another tear working its way down her face. Van blinked, wondering why his older brother's name spilled out of her mouth in grief. It was probably something to do with the drugs she was given, and it wouldn't matter anyways. She would forget all about this in the morning.

"Don't leave me Van…" Hitomi said, looking up at him with her tear-glittered eyes. The warmth that spread through Van's chest tingled to the top of his head down to his toes. His heart panged, and a part of him wondered why she would think something so absurd like that at all. But he could see the drowsiness in her eyes, and her fight to stay awake. His thoughts nagged at him, and he knew he had to get up early tomorrow for a few meetings with his council. That required leaving her bedside, which was the last thing he wanted to do.

But it was necessary, he told himself repeatedly. Being a king meant giving himself up for his people and his country at the risk of his own desires. Let it not be known, though, that the King of Fanelia was so heartless to himself. He allowed a small compromise, shrugging off his crimson robes to let the abominations in his body free.

Hitomi watched with awe as the white feathers fluttering all around her. Many of them settled on her bed, surrounding her in blissful peace as she felt the comfort they gave. It was almost as if they were transferring someone else's feelings onto her.

Van plucked one out of the air, freeing his occupied hand so he could replace it with the feather.

"Sleep, Hitomi."

She did.

_

* * *

A/N _Finally!! I'm sooo sorry to keep you guys waiting, but here it is! Yes, I know you will all hate the OC because she's too similar to Hitomi appearance-wise, and I've described her to be waay to perfect and kind and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I hate Mary Sue's as much as you do, so please believe me when I say that this was all INTENTIONAL. There is a reason she looks a lot like Hitomi, and acts very queenly and all that. It's a long time coming before you understand why, so please tolerate her for now and remember that NO, I do NOT make Mary Sue's and I NEVER WILL.

Thank you for understanding. Please read and review, and wait patiently for the next chapter! :D

Snowflake Flower


	3. Verse 3: Vapour Trail

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 3: Vapour Trail**

...

...

...

_"When you took off, I was_

_Watching for a long time as the vapour trail disappeared."_

...

...

...

Okay, this was getting seriously out of hand.

Hitomi Kanzaki scowled as she sat upright in bed, the cotton sheets pooled around her waist creating a coiled effect. The thigh that had been injured was not touching the feather mattress below her, courtesy of the large pillow propping her leg up. Surrounding Hitomi were about six maids, two of them cleaning up the room she was in, another two primping and propping and fluffing just about everything they could see on her bed, and the final two holding trays of food and trying to _feed _it to her.

News flash: her leg was injured, not her freaking arms!

At the maid's insistence of another bite of food, Hitomi's eye twitched and she growled softly under her breath. She was trying very hard not to order them around and treat them like slaves, but they seemed so scared of disappointing _Van _and _the_ _Wing Goddess_ in their duties that Hitomi had no choice but to put up with it. And Hitomi didn't mind too much having people wait on her hand and foot (who wouldn't?) other than the whole guilt issue, but there was only so much she could put up with.

As the maids frantically informed her not to move around too much, for fear of spraining her ears, Hitomi finally decided that a little use of authority would not be a bad thing.

"Out."

All the maids froze up, eyes widening at the implications of that demand.

"Lady Wing Goddess-," one of them started, trying to protest until Hitomi shot her a glare and cut her off.

"That was an order." At the very last word, each of the maids stiffened and bowed, shuffling quietly out of the room and closing the door softly behind them. Hitomi heard the click of the door shut, and let out a large sigh, sinking further down into the pillows in relief. _Finally_, some peace and quiet.

"Hitomi! Are you okay? Why aren't your maids with you? Did they disobey your orders? I'll have them thrown in jail!"

Hitomi groaned, grabbing a pillow blindly with closed eyes and slapping it over her face as the King of Fanelia barged into the room, his trusty right-hand stewardess and foster sister close behind. As Van continued to rant on and on about what he was going to do after he threw the "disobeying maids" into the dungeon, Hitomi grabbed the pillow she smacked over her face and sat up, chucking the pillow straight to sail across the room and hit Van in the face. At that, the king promptly shut up and sent a perplexed expression in Hitomi's direction. She just fixed him with a scathing glare.

"No, they didn't disobey me. On the contrary, I _ordered _them out of my room." Hitomi told him, emphasising that particular word to convey how detestable she thought it was for her to be giving other people orders like some stuck-up snob. Van's face morphed into one of anxiousness, and he neared her bedside, sitting upon it despite Hitomi turning her nose the other way.

"Hitomi, is something the matter? Are they not feeding you properly?" He asked, panicking a little. Hitomi rolled her eyes, flopping back down onto her nicely fluffed cushions with a huff. She gave him another pointed glare.

"They aren't feeding me." She told him, only realizing her mistake a second later when Van's face darkened. Quickly, so as not to unnecessarily make anyone's life miserable, Hitomi grabbed Van's hand as he made the motion to leave, startling both of them. She looked down to where her hand loosely held his, marvelling at the warmth of his palm. With a slight blush, Hitomi cleared her throat and let her fingers pull back. "Van," at his name, the Fanelian king looked up. Hitomi's lips pursed as she began to twiddle with her own fingers. "I don't like this."

He almost looked ready to pass out.

"W-what?" Van breathed, shooting forward to lean closer to her. Hitomi squirmed in discomfort under his panicked stare. She could see he was going to hyperventilate, and reached forward to cup his face in a gesture of 'this is important, and you need to understand perfectly what I'm talking about'. Not that that was much of a problem, considering he was paying rapt attention to her.

"I don't like _this_." Hitomi told him once more, taking a hand off his warm cheek to sweep her arm all around her body, motioning to the large, luxurious room she was surrounded in. Van looked confused, opening his mouth to say something until Hitomi placed a finger to his lips to silence him. "My leg is injured." Hitomi said, her heart fluttering a little when Van's face dropped into one of guilt, "but the rest of me _isn't_." She finished, pulling back to emphasize her point, giving him a full view of her arms. Van looked a little defeated, and Hitomi smiled softly at him. "I'm so grateful to everything you're trying to do for me, but you have to remember that I'm _not _as fragile as you think I am. And I _don't_ need everything to be done for me."

Van opened his mouth again to reply, but closed it and sighed. "Hitomi, I understand but…" he reached up to ruffle his obsidian hair. "But I'm just _worried_." Hitomi blushed, smiling gently at him until Ophelia stepped forward.

"Lord Van." She spoke, her voice sounding a little strained. Van righted himself, that blank face replacing the previously concerned one he had on before. It was usually only used when he needed to address some duties as king, so Hitomi sighed and laid back down. Merle made her way to Hitomi, sitting on a nearby chair. The seer assumed Merle was going to be keeping her company (read: guarding her) for the rest of the day while Van went to rule his country.

"I know." Van answered Ophelia, giving an apologetic smile to Hitomi. "I'll come back later tonight to check on you." He told her, and Hitomi and Merle waved him goodbye as he and Ophelia stepped out the door. Hitomi waited patiently for about five minutes (to make sure Van wasn't going to turn around and come back) until she turned to the cat woman with a devious smile.

"Can I take my daily walk now?"

Merle groaned, knowing she was _so _getting busted for this sooner or later.

...

...

...

Hitomi stifled a giggle, seeing Merle peek around the corner with darting eyes, looking out for any nobles who would rat her out to Van… or worse, Van himself! That would be disastrous, not to mention guilt-inspiring on Hitomi's part.

She balanced herself with one hand against the wall as Merle crept back and wrapped an arm around her waist to help her walk. Their "daily walk" usually consisted of a couple of laps in the hallway around Hitomi's room, since Merle dared not venture to a more public place. But recently Hitomi had been pushing Merle to take her farther out, like the dining room or the kitchen for something to eat. Today it seemed like she wouldn't be getting the cat woman to budge though, making her a little disappointed.

They tromped along the empty hallway for a little, Hitomi hopping on one foot because of her injury. The doctor informed her it would take months of bed rest to heal, but when Hitomi woke up at the beginning of the seven days of recovery, she had already gotten bored of lying on the feather mattress. After much persuasion, and an entire day of waiting, Hitomi finally convinced Merle to let her walk for a little bit to stretch her muscles. Needless to say, the activity had become a daily occurrence, not to mention Merle's every day dose of stress.

Hitomi just hummed quietly under her breath as she hopped slowly along with Merle supporting her. It was only after a couple of minutes that Merle's cat ears suddenly perked up, twitching. Her body immediately froze, and she quickly hid Hitomi behind a large pillar in the hallway. When the seer looked like she was going to say something, Merle sent her a quick glare that made her shut her mouth. Mouthing a fast, "_stay here_" to Hitomi (and including hand gestures to emphasize to the girl that this order was not to be disobeyed) Merle ran around the corner just as Hitomi heard voices come round.

"These bed sheets need to be taken to the linen closet beside Lady Hitomi's room. Lord Van commands all of the Wing Goddess' linens be freshly washed everyday." Hitomi's eyes narrowed as she recognized the voice.

Ophelia.

"Ophelia! What are you doing here?" Hitomi then heard Merle exclaim in astonishment. There was a pause, as if Ophelia was contemplating what to say next.

"I am… directing these new maids as to what their duties are within the castle. What are you doing Lady Merle? Are you not supposed to be watching over Lady Hitomi?" Ophelia answered, genuine curiosity in her voice. There was another awkward pause, in which Hitomi was sure Merle was thinking of something to save her butt. (Both of their butts.)

"Oh, well, um… Hitomi… asked me to… get her a tray of food! She's really hungry." Merle said, just barely able to think of a plausible excuse. Hitomi anxiously waited as another short silence took hold of the two, until Ophelia spoke again.

"I see. Well then, I shall take watch over the Wing Goddess until you return with her victuals." Hitomi's heart sped up a little, her eyes widening. If Ophelia didn't see her in her room…

"No!" Merle exclaimed, most likely catching Ophelia off guard. "I mean… uh… I already left some maids in Hitomi's room to watch over her. She'll be fine; she's a tough girl! But me? Not so much. So can you… um, help me… carry the food?" Hitomi heard Merle say, and sighed in relief when she heard Ophelia agree tentatively. The stewardess was probably suspicious, because when as Merle ever considered herself weak? But all the same, she pushed it to the side and complied with Van's foster sister.

As Hitomi heard their footsteps fade away and saw two maids carrying bed sheets to the linen closet beside her door, Hitomi wondered what she was going to do now! Adjusting awkwardly behind the pillar so she was leaning on it with her back, Hitomi thought better of sitting down because that might alert the maids to her presence and she would get in _deep _trouble with not only Van but _Merle_. And Hitomi knew she was more afraid of Merle's temper than Van's.

The seer stifled a little groan as she realized her only entertainment for the next few minutes were the two maids giggling at the linen closet. Her cheeks burned a little as their conversation took a turn to their "King Van". It certainly wasn't good for Hitomi's temper to hear them comment on having peeked in at his daily training and seen his "shining abs of glory". Nor that he was very kind and attentive to everyone he had met, including the women.

'_Quite the player, aren't you Van?_' Hitomi thought bitterly, pouting and beginning to tune the annoying girl's conversation out. At least, until one particular maid commented on one particularly devastating thing.

"Oh! Too bad too, that he and his stewardess are lovers."

"Yes! I would've been so jealous of any other woman, but Lady Ophelia is just so beautiful and kind… almost like King Van!"

"I know what you mean. She just has this… aura, you know?"

Hitomi's legs gave out on her. She hit the floor with an echoing "_THUMP_" that alarmed the maids and made them drop all the linens they held in their arms. It was only a second later that Hitomi registered the sharp spike of pain that electrocuted her entire left leg. In her fall to the floor, instinctively the muscles in her legs tensed up and unfortunately the wound at the back of her thigh ripped open. Trails of blood flowed down her leg and pooled around the floor, painting her skin red. The maids had rushed over to see who had been hiding behind the pillar (after much debate that it wasn't some sort of assassin), and screamed shortly when they saw it was the Wing Goddess.

"Lady Wing Goddess!" One of the maids shouted in horror after seeing the blood staining her leg. With widened eyes, she quickly knelt to the floor and grabbed a cloth, trying to stop the blood flow. Without turning to the other maid, she quickly barked, "Get King Van!" and lifted Hitomi's injured leg so she could see the extent of the damage. Without a second thought the other maid burst from her position on the floor in absolute tears from what Hitomi could see through her own blurred vision.

"Really, its no big deal-" Hitomi began, but stifled a cry when she felt the maid press tighter on the wound. _Damn _that hurt! She accidentally knocked the back of her skull on the marble pillar and cursed. If the maid questioned the seer's vocabulary, she didn't say anything about it.

"This way!" Hitomi heard the shaky cry of the other maid, and sighed as running footsteps rounded the corner. She was hidden behind the pillar, but it didn't help that a single trail of her blood worked its way into open view. The girl from the Mystic Moon absentmindedly wondered how menacing that must've looked to Van, who had shouted her name the second after the maid directed him to the hallway.

"Hitomi!"

Van was there in a flash, sword drawn for any intruders or assassins that might be nearby. The maid tending to Hitomi's leg was quickly shoved aside by the castle's physician (a woman) who ordered Hitomi to turn on her stomach so she could see the damage. Without letting Hitomi make her own decision of how to turn around (not that she could, given the pain was so intense she could hardly think straight), Van immediately gathered her torso in his large arms and moved her so her head was nestled at the crook of his neck. Her legs were being supported by the physician's assistants (who were also female) so Hitomi wouldn't strain the muscles in her thighs and cause further damage.

Hitomi was wearing a long nightgown that day she reopened her wound, and it had to be tugged up to reveal the stab. She didn't get a clear look of Van's face, but she definitely felt his entire body go tense when the cool air of the hallway hit her lesion. The seer couldn't help but wince at the physician trying her best to treat the abrasion and sucked in a sharp breath.

"You're going to be okay, Hitomi…" She heard Van whisper. It could've been directed to her, or it could've been to him but she wasn't sure. So instead Hitomi tightened the arms she had around his chest and pressed her cheek to his, letting her eyes drift closed as she drifted into unconsciousness.

"I _am _okay Van."

...

...

...

"Promise me you won't scare me like that again." Van said, fixing Hitomi with a stern glare. The seer rolled her eyes and nodded. It had already been three weeks after the 'incident' in the hallway that nearly gave Van another heart attack, and he constantly reminded her of it everyday. Not that she minded, of course, seeing as they hardly got to spend any time together. But he had to go back to his kingly duties again, which would leave Hitomi feeling bored and restless for another day.

Joy.

"Lord Van, if you wish I shall cancel all your duties for today."

Hitomi's head shot up as she saw Ophelia enter the room with a graceful smile. The conversation between the maids the other day came back to Hitomi, causing the seer to look away guiltily. It wasn't as if those maids weren't right, because they were. It just killed Hitomi to see someone who would be a more suitable match for Van than her and to know that once her mission in Gaea was completed (wiping out the Zaibach rebellions) she would be sent straight back to earth to continue her mundane life. No offence to Yukari and Amano and her family, of course.

"But Ophelia-" Van started, trying to protest only to stop midway when Ophelia held a hand up to stop him. She just curtsied and made a motion to leave the room.

"It would be my pleasure, Lord Van." Ophelia went on like he had not protested, but instead given his full consent plus oodles of enthusiasm. The door closed silently behind Ophelia, leaving Hitomi and Van alone in the room once more. There was an awkward silence that hung in the air for a few moments, until Van turned to Hitomi and perked up like he remembered something.

"Oh! Um, Hitomi…" Van started, seeing Hitomi's eyes urge him on. Gulping, Van reached into his shirt and pulled out the pink pendant the seer had given him so many years ago. "I figured since you were back in Gaea you would… want this back." Hitomi's eyes widened a little but quickly softened as Van's arms moved to signify he was going to take the necklace off. Hitomi reached out with her hand and placed it on top of his to stop him, shaking her head.

"I'll be fine without it. You probably need it more than I do." Hitomi said, chuckling a little. Van opened his mouth to say something about not having a very good sixth sense like Hitomi, but she beat him to the punch. "I don't mean about dousing or anything Van. I'm talking about luck." With a gesture, Hitomi pointed to the pink pendant her grandmother gave her when she was very young. "That pendant is my luck charm, not any sort of mystical item that will strengthen my powers. Luck was its purpose from the beginning, and that's not going to change."

Van paused a little; looking at the trinket that Hitomi had entrusted to his keeping and felt his heart swell with warmth. He sent a dazzling smile in her direction, making her flush at its intensity and make her body throb with a strange need. "Thank you Hitomi. I really will treasure this with all my being." Hitomi gave him a goofy smile in return.

"That was all I needed to hear."

Then they fell into another silence, but this time it was more comfortable and not at all awkward. Hitomi played with the blankets in her hands and Van twiddled with Hitomi's dousing pendant until the king of Fanelia shot up with his jaw slack.

"Oh that's right." Van said, looking at Hitomi with a wide smile. "I thought you might want to see Asturia again so-," He wasn't even able to finish his sentence before Hitomi launched off the bed and engulfed him in an enormous hug. The chair Van sat on tipped backwards from the impact, making them both crash on the floor. Hitomi was kept safely from harm as Van held her tightly to him, so she was breathless with laughter at the prospect of seeing Millerna and Dryden and Gaddes and… Allen.

Her eyes softened and Hitomi wondered if he's happy now with his sister.

As Van's arms wrapped around Hitomi's body, setting her gently back down on her bed, eyes frantic and worried about any more damage done to her wound, Hitomi decided she didn't care so much anymore.

...

...

...

The ocean breeze was crisp and clear in the air as Hitomi stepped out of the royal Fanelian leviship. There was a dull throbbing in her thigh that was easily ignored, but still there. She smiled as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the smell of Asturia. It had been so long since she was last here, and Hitomi couldn't wait to see everyone again.

"Hitomi be careful. Your leg hasn't healed all the way yet." Van warned, jumping off the ship to land beside her, body poised for a quick grab if she looked unsteady. Hitomi laughed, stepping forward with a limp in her step. Another month passed since her wound reopened, but with some walking practice Hitomi was feeling better than before. She could walk now, albeit only short distances before she had to sit down. Hitomi was mostly walking with Merle to get places, but when Van could spend time with her, he refused to let her walk at all. Instead, the Fanelian king opted to carryher.

Hitomi willed the blush away, staring at the glittering ocean down below. In her absence, it hadn't changed a bit. It was still a pretty blue, shimmering from the sunlight that was cast upon it. Asturia itself hadn't changed much either, remaining a port town and staying virtually the same as those four years ago (ten in Gaean time). The seer could see the castle that housed Millerna and her sister Eries. A feeling of nostalgia welled up in her as she gazed at the stone palace.

She still couldn't believe so much had happened in such a short time. Hitomi and Millerna, though at ends with each other at first, soon became fast friends to the point where Millerna asked for opinions on dresses. Van began to work his way into her heart at the windmill somewhere in the city, and on a bridge in Asturia was where she got her first kiss. From Allen.

Hitomi reached up, lightly tracing her fingertips against her bottom lip. Now that she thought about it, Allen had been her _only _kiss. There was that time where Van had almost kissed her, if only Merle hadn't burst in at exactly the wrong time. A little sigh escaped her lips as she continued to stroke her lips with her finger. Van looked at her, his eyes flickering to her mouth and his eyes narrowed. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and brought it down slowly. Hitomi looked at him somewhat in surprise.

"Hitomi!"

Van retracted his hand when Millerna came riding up on her horse with a succession of knights following her, Dryden right beside her and Allen and his sister behind them. Hitomi, excited at finally seeing all her old friends again, squealed and threw her arms in the air. She didn't dare take a step forward to start running; her injury probably couldn't stand the pressure.

"Millerna!" Hitomi exclaimed as she neared, not noticing the knights looking at each other wondering how this foreigner could be so informal. Millerna stopped her horse, climbing down and rushing over to the girl she hadn't seen in so long with bright eyes. They both laughed as the youngest Aston daughter collided into the eldest Kanzaki daughter, Hitomi taking a few steps back from the impact. The wound in her leg reacted, sending spikes of pain along her leg and making Hitomi cry out in pain. The older woman immediately backed away, looking a little concerned as Hitomi winced.

"Are you okay?" She asked, gasping a little when Van shoved her aside, his eyes frantic and worried. A few of the knights drew their swords, only to lower them when Allen held a hand up. Van grasped Hitomi around her waist, letting her lean on him for support as she recovered from her temporary attack. The dull throb slowly returned to her leg, and Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief as a cue for Van to let go of her.

Only he didn't.

Hitomi blushed; her head nestled in his chest as he held her for a fair amount of time, asking if she was okay. She nodded, backing away slightly to turn to Millerna. "Sorry," Hitomi said sheepishly, "but I was injured a while back." Millerna's eyes widened, and she pushed Van aside to glare at the seer.

"_Injured?_ And you didn't bother to mention that before I tackled you?" She chided, Hitomi shrinking back and laughing awkwardly. Sighing, Millerna shifted on her feet and cocked her head. "So, where's the injury?" Without asking to, Van spun Hitomi around and pointed to the stab wound on the back of her thigh. Millerna blinked a little, slightly curious as to how it got there but shrugged and motioned to the vacant horses decorated with Asturian saddles.

"Well I brought horses along for you," Millerna said, smiling when Dryden came up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But I don't think riding a horse would be good for Hitomi's wound." Hitomi looked between the two, finally noticing the gleaming ring on the Aston's finger. A soft smile lit up on her face as she swelled with happiness for Millerna. The princess had finally found her happy ending.

Now if only she could find hers.

"Nice to see you again little lady." Dryden greeted, reaching out to pat Hitomi's head. He grinned. "You haven't grown much." Merle, standing beside Hitomi, started to giggle but started to stifle her laughter when Hitomi pouted in her direction. Hitomi's heart beat a little faster when she saw Allen and his sister Celena approach, Allen with his trademark smile on his face.

"Hitomi, it's been awhile." The Caeli knight said, taking her hand to lightly brush his lips across her knuckles. Hitomi smiled at him and retracted her hand, looking to the light-haired girl beside him. Allen beamed when he saw her attention deviate. "This is my sister, Celena." Hitomi bowed to the other girl with a bright smile.

"Its nice to finally meet you Celena." She said. Celena bowed in return, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

"Likewise, Wing Goddess."

At hearing the title uttered once more, Hitomi groaned and dropped her shoulders. All the others who knew her personally in the Gaean war ten years ago (four in earth time) began to laugh (or chuckle), easily working they're way into their old comfortable atmosphere. Van was the first to quiet down, looking to Hitomi with a smile.

"Shall we go?" He asked. "You can ride with me." Hitomi shifted a little in the light traveling dress she wore, flushing. Nodding, a knight brought a horse to them, and Van climbed onto the saddle before holding his hand out for Hitomi. The seer would've tried to climb up herself had Allen not reached out and lifted her, placing her on Van's lap without saying a word.

"Ah… thank you Allen." Hitomi said, the knight merely bowing to her.

"I'm more than happy to assist, Hitomi." He answered before gesturing to Celena to follow him back to their horses. Van watched him go, a strange look in his eye before following Millerna and Dryden to the castle when they also got settled in their horses. As they walked along the streets, waving to the fellow townspeople, Allen motioned for Celena to stay in her place and hurried to ride beside Van and Hitomi. A neutral look blanketed his handsome face.

"King Van," Allen started, using the official title as a subtle hint that this was business. Van turned to him, nodding his head to let the knight continue talking. Allen glanced briefly at Hitomi, who was also listening aptly to him. "There's something I need to speak to you in private about once we reach the castle." Van looked forward to the stone castle that housed Asturia's royal family.

"Of course." He answered, and the two left it at that. Allen returned to his rightful place behind the youngest son of Goau Fanel, hands tightening on the flaps of the saddle. Hitomi's eyes tracked him as he moved, before she tensed her fist on Van's shirt and looked up into his crimson eyes.

"Van…" Hitomi began, but was stopped when the Fanelian king looked down at her with a sincere smile. It was the comforting smile that made her heart melt and turned her insides to goo.

"Don't worry about it." He told her, taking one of his hands off his flap and laying it on her shoulder. Hitomi pursed her lips but didn't say anything else. Instead, she allowed him to push her further into his chest and enjoyed the rest of the ride to the castle.

...

...

...

Two guards stood outside a room with dark brown doors, unable to contain the amused smiles playing across their lips as they listened in on the conversation between the Queen Millerna and King Van. The Fanelian monarch was holding his own against their queen, but it was only a matter of time before Millerna got her way. (Such was the gift of feminine wiles.)

"I don't think it's a good idea." Van said, letting Hitomi lean into him for support as Queen Millerna made puppy eyes at the Fanelian king.

"Oh _please_ Van? Hitomi won't have to walk a lot. She'll be resting in the carriage most of the time because I'm bringing the shop _to her_, not bringing her to the shop." The blonde persuaded, desperate to show Hitomi around Asturia. Most especially the marketplace, where they could shop 'til they dropped. "And anyways, I'm a doctor. If something goes wrong, Hitomi won't be without medical help." Van looked down to Hitomi, who nodded vigorously at him. She wanted a chance to spend time with Millerna, and to get away from the overprotective draconian (not that she didn't love Van… but he could be so overbearing at times).

"Well… I _do_ need Ophelia to run a few errands for me at the market—"

"Perfect! Let's go Hitomi!" Millerna exclaimed, cutting Van off and grabbing Hitomi's wrist. She slowly helped the seer hobble out of the castle and to the carriage, Van sighing as he watched them go. Ophelia and Merle followed behind soon after, Ophelia already knowing what errands to run for her king. The door to the castle closed, and Van turned around when Allen clapped a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes were hard.

"We need to talk."

...

...

...

Hitomi smiled, giggling as she watched Millerna bustle around outside. True to her word, the Asturian Queen kept Hitomi locked up in the carriage, bringing her down every now and then so the young woman could stretch her legs. The carriage was slowly loading up with beautiful jewellery and dresses (all courtesy of Millerna). About half of the things there were bought for Hitomi (despite her protests). Merle had already taken off to find some food to eat, but Ophelia was seated in the carriage patiently waiting for her stop to come by.

Hitomi snuck a peek at her doppelganger seated across her very regally. Ophelia's hands were cupped in her lap, and her eyes were closed. It almost seemed as though she was concentrating on something, but what Hitomi wasn't sure. As the stewardess' eyes began to open, Hitomi whipped her head back to look out the window at Millerna. A few of the townsfolk passing by the carriage saw her and recognized her, bowing and whispering "Wing Goddess" in a prayer under their breath. It made Hitomi blush, and she smiled at them.

"They adore you, you know." Hitomi's head whipped around at Ophelia's soft voice. She was smiling lightly, looking out the window in the opposite direction. "In Gaea, you are worshipped because of your precognitive abilities. These people really believe you are a Goddess from the Mystic Moon who has come to Gaea to grant them eternal peace." Ophelia looked at her, still smiling. The seer seemed unsure, looking back out the window to see some of the young children waving to her. She tried to smile, waving back. The children gasped, giggling as they beamed at their parents, proclaiming that Hitomi had just blessed them.

The mystic's eyes widened, and she moved away from the window, her mouth dropping. "B-but…" she started, flabbergasted at the truth in Ophelia's statement. "How could this happen? I'm just a normal girl!" Hitomi exclaimed at Ophelia, who continued to smile softly.

"Maybe so, but to the rest of Gaea you are their saviour. You are the Wing Goddess." The doppelganger then stood, opening the door to leave the carriage. "I must leave you now, Lady Hitomi. I have errands for Lord Van I must attend to." Hitomi watched Ophelia go from the window after the door closed, her body disappearing in the mass of people surrounding the carriage that carried their saviour. People made way for her, noticing her resemblance to Hitomi and recognizing the noble aura she exuded. But after she passed by them, they merely went back to staring at Hitomi's carriage.

Well… _most_ of them.

...

...

...

Allen Schezar stepped forward, slapping a manila folder filled with papers on the desk. Van sat behind it, in quite a relaxed stance as his eyes tracked the movement of the papers. Reaching forward, the Fanelian king flipped the folders open and sifted through the sheets, eyes narrowing at the illegible scribbles on the parchment.

"Allen, what are these?" He asked, thoroughly confused. The Caeli Knight smirked, crossing his arms.

"Reports on the Zaibach Rebellions." He answered smugly. Van's eyebrow quirked up, and he looked back down in an attempt to wrestle something out of the writing. Allen continued on, knowing by experience how long it would take to decipher the report. "These were written by a reliable source I gained many years ago and was only able to come into contact with recently." The knight uncrossed his arms, letting one of his hands rest on his sword. Van gave Allen a look that questioned the sincerity of this "reliable source".

"His name is Gadeth. He's Gaddes' older brother." Allen defended. "He was originally part of Zaibach, but defected long before the war started. After Zaibach was disbanded and rumours of the rebellions started going around, Gadeth took up his old uniform again and weaseled his way into their ranks." Van set the reports back on the desk and stood, walking out.

"So what have you found out?" The Fanelian king asked, and Allen gestured to the papers with a teasing smile.

"Didn't you read the reports?" He asked, only to be met with Van's chilling glare. The Caeli knight chuckled, waving a hand coolly. "I jest, King Van." Here, Allen's eyes narrowed and his hand gripped the scabbard of his sword. "Gadeth has been keeping a low profile, so he's stayed mostly in their infantry ranks. The leader is actually a woman, but no one knows her name. They just call her Commander Rose because the colour of her hair is as red as the flower they named her with. All of her instructions are filtered through her vice-commander, a man named Falco."

Van's eyes were cast downward at the ground as he quietly listened to Allen's explanation. He leaned back, sitting on the corner of the desk and raised his head to look at the Asturian. "Has he mentioned anything about their headquarters?" Allen's lips twisted, and his blue eyes flickered away to avoid Van's crimson ones. The Fanelian king didn't think he'd like this particular bit of news, and his eyes narrowed as he waited for Allen's response.

"Before you panic, Van, you should know I have some of my best knights watching over Hitomi and Queen Millerna's carriage—"

"_Where is it Schezar?!_" Van growled, his vibrant eyes flashing as he leaned farther away from the desk, one of his hands gripping the edge and another tightening around his sword. With the direction Allen was headed in, the draconian had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer to his question.

Allen sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand through his long blonde hair. His blue eyes fixed onto Van's, piercing through them just as his words pierced through Van's heart.

"It's here. In Asturia."

...

...

...

The pastry shop/restaurant was warm as Hitomi stepped in, the Asturian queen following close by, her hands lifting her skirts up to avoid tripping and falling. A few guards stood watch some ways behind the two women, hands on their swords as they surveyed the room of people. The seer seemed to be in a rush, her own dress held up to prevent any clumsy falls.

"I'll only be a second, Millerna!" Hitomi called, inching into the lavatory and closing the door quietly behind her. Hitomi supposed she shouldn't have drunk so many of those interesting Gaean beverages, but it wasn't like she could refuse Millerna's gifts. The queen was shoving her food left and right, urging her to try them. By now it was taking its toll, and nature was calling rather urgently.

Millerna seemed a bit unsure, her eyes flickering back and forth between the lavatory and the windows. She had caught sight of this vendor who was selling some wonderful bath salts just down the street, but it looked as if the owner was packing up soon. Well… it wasn't that far, right?

"Hitomi! I'll be just down the street. Will you be okay by yourself?" Millerna asked, shouting through the door. Hitomi wouldn't really be alone, as Millerna was leaving one of Allen's knights to guard Hitomi. But it had a similar effect, as the knight would shadow Hitomi from afar to give her space and privacy. The seer didn't need to know that though.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go ahead; I can catch up." Hitomi reassured, and waited a few seconds to ensure that Millerna left. It was hard to tell because the queen walked like a cat, but the slam of the shop door gave Hitomi all the information she needed. From there, the mystic finished up what she came to the restaurant to do in the first place before stepping out of the lavatory, sighing in relief. Her thigh throbbed slightly, and she limped through the restaurant. Some of the customers saw her and their eyes went wide. Hitomi ignored them as best she could, continuing on. But the confectionaries in the store caught her attention, and Hitomi's sweet tooth could not be denied!

...

...

...

The marketplace was bustling with activity. Most of it was financial, people buying and selling, but on this particular day there was another type of activity running amuck through the streets of Asturia's marketplace. It appeared in the form of Fanelia's king and a Caeli Knight bursting through the marketplace's otherwise peaceful activities.

"Van! Van, slow down!" Allen Schezar, Knight of the Caeli called as he weaved through the crowds of people to catch up to the Fanelian king. He was able to calm Van down after breaking the news of the rebellions, but suddenly the draconian was up and running again, his eyes wide with panic. The knight still didn't know what it was, but it was something bad. With the way Van's shoulder blades were twitching, Allen guessed it was something very bad.

The blonde grit his teeth, slowly gaining on Van. He spotted one of his soldiers nearby and called out to him.

"Private!" The soldier jolted, facing Allen and saluting him. Celena's brother didn't bother with formalities, motioning to Van. "Follow him!" Allen called just as Van sped past the private. The Caeli knight's eyes narrowed when he saw the beginnings of a protest, and knew he needed to stop being so lenient with the new recruits. "That's an order, private!" He roared.

The blonde was satisfied to see his soldier dash off, eyes wide with panic as he raced after Van. The Caeli knight quickly increased his speed, passing by that little restaurant with no apparent interest in it just as a certain seer stepped out, cleaning her fingers of confectionary goodness.

"Huh?" Hitomi mumbled, her forest green eyes tracking the Schezar's movement as he sped away. They led to Van, who had stopped in front of Millerna and was speaking harshly to her. Hitomi wondered why Van was there, and she made her way closer to the scene of two monarchs having a very heated conversation. She wasn't very close when she began to fully hear what they were saying, so they must have been shouting very loudly.

"I don't know where she went! Maybe _you_ should keep better track of your subordinates, _King. Van._" Millerna growled out, poking Van in the shoulder to emphasize his title as Fanelian sovereign. The draconian didn't seem fazed, and his hand clenched tightly into fists.

"Never mind," Van dismissed, his eyes narrowing to shoot cold glares at Millerna. Quickly, the Fanel began to unbutton his top, throwing it aside to let his accursed wings burst out of his back in a flurry of white feathers. "I don't have time for this. Ophelia could already be dead because of those rebels and I'm not going to waste time arguing with you." He left Millerna with her jaw dropped before taking off into the sky, muscles tensing every time his wings flapped. As he flew high into the sky, Hitomi could almost see the trail of vapour left in his dust.

A few of his white feathers drifted down, and her lips quivered. Ophelia was that important to him? She was so important that he wouldn't think twice about letting everyone see the wings he abhorred ever since he was a child? It made her wonder what kind of place she had in his heart anymore. After she helped stamp down the Zaibach Rebellions, would she no longer have any place on Gaea?

Would she no longer have any place in Van's heart?

It was a while before Hitomi noticed the hot tears that dripped down her pale face. She touched them lightly, feeling the wetness between her fingers and stifling a sob. A trail of feathers was still drifting lazily to the floor, and Hitomi wanted so badly to reach out and grab one of them. She wanted to hug it so tightly between her chest that it would meld with her body and become a part of her. But now Hitomi wondered if she was allowed to touch them at all.

Stumbling backwards, adrenaline started to race through her body and Hitomi couldn't feel the burning pain in the back of her thigh as she turned tail and ran, never to look back.

...

...

...

The room was dank and smelled stale, but Ophelia didn't mind. Chained to a wall, Ophelia had more things to worry about than simply the sensations assaulting her. There was the gnawing in her stomach that begged for food, and the man that had just entered the room, holding a flashlight right in her eyes. The sudden brightness caused stars to dance in her vision, but Ophelia refused to give her captor the satisfaction of knowing she was suffering.

His steps were loud in the room, echoing against all four corners of the walls and every nook and cranny in Ophelia's head. They were steadily drawing closer, and Ophelia sat up in order to show him he didn't intimidate her. But the truth of the matter was that she was virtually defenceless, and this man could do anything and everything he wanted to.

It sent mental shivers up her spine, as he grew so close she could smell the cologne wafting over his body. His face was shadowed, but Ophelia raised her head and glared up at where she assumed his eyes would be.

"And you are?"

He paused, probably considering whether or not to answer her. Ophelia waited patiently, though the angry red lines on her wrists would not. He shifted slightly, and Ophelia heard metal clinking against one another. She tried not to shake, because that metal sounded an awful lot like bullets falling to the floor.

"Falco."

...

...

...

Hitomi didn't know how long she had been running for, but she only stopped once her adrenaline wore off and the consequences of her actions came slamming back into her. It came in the form of utter and complete agony ripping through her thigh, which buckled weakly and caused Hitomi to slump against the wall. She was breathing heavily and trying not to scream out in pain despite all the nerves in her body begging her to.

It was quite a while before the sensation dulled to a mild throb in the back of her thigh, and Hitomi was ready to get up and go back to the castle, only to realize that she had no idea where she was. The alleyway was empty, not to mention dark because of the black night sky. A few stars glittered over her head, and Hitomi could see her home planet from where she sat.

Hitomi licked her dry lips as she stared at earth and the moon. The seer wondered how her family and her friends were doing. Were they worried about her? Did Amano propose to Yukari yet? So many questions ran through her head, and Hitomi realized with a little heartache that she would never discover the answers to them.

It made her think. Was giving up everything she had ever known all that smart a decision? The only reason she came to Gaea was because of Van, and yet she discovers that her place in his life may have already been filled. She hasn't exactly been seeing any visions concerning the Zaibach Rebellions either, so why was she still here?

Hitomi sighed.

She already knew the answer to that.

"Van…" Hitomi murmured. Sighing, the seer supposed she should get back to the castle before she freaked Millerna and Van out anymore. Wincing at the dull pain in her thigh, Hitomi used to the wall for support as she got up, turning around to take a few steps to what she thought would be the direction of the Asturian Palace.

A few steps were as far as she got before everything went black.

...

...

...

"_Shit!_" Van cursed, slamming his fists onto the table. Millerna observed him with tired eyes, but showed no sign of fear when her large table groaned and creaked under the Fanelian king's abuse. She merely stood beside her husband, hands folded neatly in front of her and eyes flickering the floor below her. Despite her seemingly stone cold posture, Dryden could see her clasped hands quivering.

"There's no need for profanity, King Van." Dryden said, his hands tucked into his robes as he watched the ruler pace back and forth across the room. The Asturian sovereign was undeterred when the draconian's eyes whipped to his, burning with the intensity of the sun. His body was thrumming with restrained anger, and that restraint was like an elastic band being stretched until it was so thin it snapped.

"_Hitomi _is _missing!!_" He shouted, so loud that a few of the crystal vases in the room shivered. "_My _Hitomi, who can hardly walk is out there right now because of a few… _trinkets_!" Millerna flinched at her, biting her bottom lip and ducking her head further into her chest. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she summoned all the willpower capable in her to stem the tears from leaking through her eyes.

"I've already sent out all the men I possibly can to find her." Allen said, stepping in. He was calm and unruffled as well, except for the thin line of his lips. "Both Hitomi _and _your stewardess."

Van grit his teeth, running a hand through his hair to try and placate himself. Merle sat in a chair and watched Van pace the room again, her legs cushioned to her chest. She almost looked like a little girl again, her eyes shining in sadness and worry as they tracked the Fanelian king's movements around the room. But Merle wasn't a girl anymore; she was a grown woman.

The cat woman stretched her legs, placing them silently on the floor and perking her ears up just as Gaddes spoke up.

"I don't understand. What would the Zaibachian's want with a simple stewardess?" The soldier contemplated, his two fingers rubbing the stubble on his chin. "I mean, sure, she's workin' for good ol' Van over here, but that's about it." Van stilled in his furious pacing, and Merle shivered when she saw his eyes darken.

"Could they know…?" Van whispered to himself, and it was only through Merle's sensitive hearing that she was able to pick up on it. Her eyes darkened also, and a part of her was terrified at the thought of the rebels knowing Van's horrible secret, but she knew better.

Merle shifted to her feet, catching the attention of every person that inhabited the room. There was a determined gleam in her eye as she stepped forward, a hand on her hip as her lips pulled into a sneer. Had none of them known any better, they could've easily mistaken her as a woman raised in luxury and nobility. But in reality, this façade of hers was just a persona built upon ten years of enduring sneers and scorn from every Fanelian aristocrat (excluding Van) that she had encountered. And it was this persona that she drew upon now, encompassing her in confidence and a detached cruelty.

"Idiots." She scoffed, teal blue eyes darting from one form to another. "Use your brains a little, why don't'cha?" Her tail flicked in annoyance as she crouched, her hands flat on the floor in front of her. She could smell the confusion in the air as eyes looked from her to one another; the questions appallingly clear.

"Merle, I don't understand." Millerna said, speaking up for the first time since Hitomi's disappearance. Merle, feigning exasperation, fingered a lock of her pink hair as she looked up at the ceiling. It was very plain, only the mouldings on the wall having any sort of interest to her sharp eyes.

"Who's the saviour of Gaea? The "great and almighty" Wing Goddess that's come here from the Mystic Moon?" Merle heard Van whisper Hitomi's name quietly to himself, but it almost seemed to echo through the entire room, resounding in all of their bodies as Merle's head dropped back down to eye them all in a very cat-like way. "And who did Ophelia remind you of when you first laid eyes on her?"

"Hitomi." Allen spoke up, his hand gripping the scabbard of his sword tightly. Millerna gasped, her hands clutching her upper arms with a ferocity she didn't know she possessed.

"A case of mistaken identity." Merle stood.

"Bingo."

_

* * *

A/N _And the third chapter is out! I'm currently proof-reading and editing the fourth and fifth chapter, but don't expect the next chapter until I've finished the sixth chapter. I know I'm withholding the chapters from you, but I'm trying to make sure that I'm absolutely satisfied with every chapter so that I can give you the best of what I can do, so please understand and bear with me.

That being said, I hope you enjoyed the third verse! The Zaibach Rebellions aren't a big incident in this fanfiction. It will end by the next chapter.

Thank you for being patient! And remember: reviews help me work faster! : )

Snowflake Flower


	4. Verse 4: Please Don't Forget

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 4: Please Don't Forget**

...

...

...

_Please don't forget_

_You're not alone._

_Even if we're apart, we can still carry on hand-in-hand._

...

...

...

People were talking.

That was the first thing that ran through Hitomi's mind as her eyes cracked open, thankful for the dim light of the room. She could hear the murmured voices outside, near the open door. It wasn't bright enough for her to make out specific details, but she could tell it was a woman and a man talking heatedly to each other under their breaths. Obviously it was done in an effort not to wake her up, but since Hitomi had first come to Gaea she had learned that being a light sleeper was essential when you were thrust in the midst of a war.

"…the other one…"

"…this one is legit…"

"…better be, or it's your head…"

"…worry too much…"

Hitomi willed her legs to stand as she caught snippets of their conversation. Her shoes were lying in another corner of the room, placed together neatly. The floor under her feet was carpet, and very soft. When the seer looked around, she was quite surprised to see herself surrounded in luxury. Someone had put her on a comfy bed, and the room was filled with couches, bookcases, a refrigerator of food and its own bathroom. There was even a wardrobe filled with extravagant clothes in one corner!

"So you're finally awake."

Hitomi jolted, looking up at the pink-haired woman smirking down at her.

"A-ah…" She began, stuttering but the older woman cut her off.

"Don't speak." She commanded, flipping her wavy hair and resting a hand on her hip. Almost all of her figure was covered in black leather; which is not an easy fabric to move around in but this woman seemed to do it flawlessly. "I'm Commander Rose." She said, smirking at the sound of her name falling from her lips. "At least, that's what my subordinates call me." Hitomi blinked a little in confusion, and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Rose. "Don't bother asking." She said smugly. Hitomi's mouth clamped shut, and she glared.

"You said you were a commander." Hitomi mentioned, seeing Rose twirling her hair in her fingers. "What are you commander of?" Rose paused before she flipped her pink strand away, smirking and sauntering out of the room. The man she was talking to was still there, looking in with hooded eyes. "Hey!" Hitomi exclaimed, getting up. "I'm still talking to you!"

Rose just waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and left the room. The man she left behind stepped in, closing the door. Hitomi's breath quickened, and she stumbled back a little.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said, stopping a few steps away from the door. Like Rose, this man was also dressed in black leather but his clothes weren't form fitting, and his coat was very trench-like. Hitomi could clearly see a large sword strapped to his waist, but he didn't look as if he would draw it soon. Instead, much to Hitomi's surprise, the man dropped into a deep, respectful bow; the tips of his long hair almost touching the floor.

"Lady Wing Goddess, my name is Falco."

...

...

...

The night sky was teeming with sparkling stars, overshadowed by the white glow of the moon shining onto the courtyard. Merle was perched on a pillar, gazing down as her sensitive ears picked up not only the clanging of swords, but the harsh words exchanged between the two fighters like burning arrows whizzing back and forth.

"Get the hell out of my way, Schezar!" Van Slanzar de Fanel growled, his muscles straining under his skin as he pushed his blade against Allen's in a deadlock. The knight was undeterred, matching Van's strength and berserked behaviour with a clear head. He pushed back against Van's sword, jumping back after managing to unbalance his opponent.

"As soon as you actually give the situation some thought, and not just charge ahead like a raging bull." He shot back, readying himself when Van's eyes narrowed and his grip on his sword tightened. Swiftly, Allen brought his blade up to block the Fanelian king's incoming attack.

"What is there to think about?!" Van yelled, and Merle's ears twitched a little. With the volume of his voice, Merle wouldn't be surprised if someone ran out to find out what the commotion was about. "Hitomi's been kidnapped, and I need to go rescue her!"

Allen's eyes narrowed, and he dodged another swing of Van's sword. "Go _where_?" He snarled, deciding to take the offensive. "You don't even know where Hitomi _is_!" The knight lunged forward and Van met his attack head-on. Allen could see the king's eyes flicker with something akin to realization, but it was quickly overshadowed by the utter rage in his flaming crimson eyes.

"I'll find her!" Van said, dashing to the side. Merle could see the twinkle of Van's (Hitomi's?) pendant swinging on his neck, almost like it was telling him what to do next. Allen growled low under his breath, striking at Van again only for the younger man to dodge. They stood several metres apart, both of them breathing hard.

"And what will you do when you've found her?" Allen asked, his blue eyes cold as he stared down the sovereign. "Rush in like some pubescent fifteen year old?" Van flinched at the man's insinuation of his younger days during the war that destroyed his kingdom. "Let me get in touch with Gadeth, Van. We can figure out a plan to get Hitomi and your stewardess back without killing you."

For a second, Allen thought his persuasion had worked. Van's eyes were downcast, trained on the stone floor below him as if he was deep in thought. The grip on his sword had lessened, and Allen was getting ready to lead him back inside. But the Fanel suddenly charged at him, sword held high above his head to attack and crimson eyes blazing with determination.

"I'm sorry Van-sama."

Merle flew in, crouched low as she delivered one staggering blow to her sovereign's stomach, knocking him out.

...

...

...

"Falco?" Hitomi asked, scooting further back until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed. With a little shriek, the young woman fell back onto the mattress, wincing at the pain that tore through her hamstrings. Ignoring the tears pricking at the corner of her eyelids, Hitomi glared up at the man named Falco, who looked as if he wanted to help her. "I've... never heard of you." She gasped, taking a small pause to blink back tears. Showing weakness in front of the enemy was not an option.

"Are you well, Lady Wing Goddess?" Falco asked, stepping forward. Hitomi scrambled back further, biting back the whimper when she forced the muscles in her thigh to move. They screamed at her to stop, sending sharp signals up and down her leg.

"Fine." Hitomi bit out, glaring at him. "I'm fine, so back off." Falco paused before he retracted his step a couple of times and gave the seer her desired space. She was surprised to see a remorseful expression take hold of him as he collapsed to one knee, bowing his head deeply.

"Forgive me." He said, sounding deeply regretful. Hitomi was a little surprised at that, her defensive stance faltering as he continued to speak. "I did not mean to anger you, Lady Wing Goddess but you seem to be injured, and I wish to help." His head was bowed so he did not see the appalled look flittering across Hitomi's face. Her cheeks began to burn red from anger, and if it weren't for the agonizing throb of her thigh, she would've lunged at him in anger.

"Help? _Help?!_" She hissed, fisting the sheets beneath her. "You _kidnapped_ me!! Yougot me _into _this mess! You're the _last_ person I want help from!" Hitomi realized that it probably wasn't a good idea to be snapping at the man with a sharp sword strapped to his waist, but she couldn't help it. If she didn't find some sort of outlet for her bottled emotions, there would certainly be trouble.

"I understand that it is difficult for you to trust me after what my superior has done to you," he said, standing up, "but I beg for you to let me right this wrong." Hitomi's forest green eyes flickered over him doubtfully, pulling her legs closer to her body in an unconscious effort to protect herself from him. If Falco noticed, he didn't say anything.

"What do you mean?" She asked, narrowing her gaze at Falco. The throbbing in her hamstrings only intensified, and she stifled the whimpers of pain that threatened to flutter past her pursed lips. If he noticed, the vice-commander didn't say anything.

"I will help you escape." He told her, drawing a wide-eyed look from the young woman. "You, and the Lady Ophelia."

...

...

...

The supply room of the Rebellion Headquarters was always stacked up with crates of food and ammunition (and the odd guymelef parts they were able to scrounge). Not many people wandered down here because all trading took place early in the morning. Moving supplies into the supply room usually took most of the day, but even then it was mostly every couple of weeks that the HQ needed more supplies.

Hence, it was the perfect place to start planning against the enemy.

Gadeth smirked, leaning on a wooden crate as he smoked a cigarette. He was dressed casually, like a commoner, because the rebellions called for stealth and disguise. The only clear sign of his "loyalty" to Zaibach was the tattoo concealed on his forearm. It was a permanent fixture of his every regret and the guilt that weighed down on him since finally quitting the formal Zaibachian army so many years ago.

Gadeth scoffed, biting down on the end of his smoke before spitting it onto the ground, grinding the embers away with his heel. A part of him wished to just leave the fire to spread, and burn down the whole damn place but alas, he was on orders from Schezar. It wouldn't do well to disrupt the Caeli Knight's plans. While he was busy wallowing in his self-pity, someone else had snuck into the supply room and watched the soldier's actions from where he stood a small distance away.

"Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?" The small child had asked him from beside another crate. Gadeth looked up, face brightening as he caught sight of the newcomer. There was a bird resting on the kid's shoulder, and one of her wings swept up as if in greeting.

"Hey, Noir!" Gadeth exclaimed, stepping forward to ruffle the kid's hair. Noir growled, slapping his hand away and trying to fix it while Gadeth said hello to his pet. "And you too, Subaru." The bird nuzzled her head into Gadeth's hand and nibbled his fingers softly in affection.

"Yeah, yeah, it's an absolute _joy_ to see you too, Gadeth." Noir snipped, whacking his hands away so he would step back. "Now what the hell do you want? You know, I had a perfectly good opportunity to take a look at Allen Schezar's guymelef but I turned it down 'cause you said you had something 'important' you needed me to do." The young boy used air quotation marks when it was necessary, and continuously glared daggers at the older man (who was smiling sheepishly).

"Sorry bud." Gadeth replied, crouching down to Noir's eye level. "I promise that when you do me this favour, I'll get you _legal _access to the Schezar hangar where they keep Allen Schezar's guymelef." The light that brightened in Noir's eyes was almost able to draw a chuckle from Gadeth, but he quickly stifled it or else the young genius would probably refuse just to spite him.

"Hold on." Noir said, his eyes narrowing as he glared suspiciously up at Gadeth. "Exactly _what_ do you want me to do?" The spy chuckled this time, leaning back against the crate and stuffing his hands into his pockets. Looking around a little, to make sure someone wasn't listening in, Gadeth crouched down and motioned Noir and Subaru closer.

"I need a map." Gadeth told the boy, and Noir raised an eyebrow at him. Even Subaru cocked her head in confusion. The soldier sighed, scratching his head as he leaned closer to the young genius. "I need a map of the rebellion's HQ." Noir's eyes shot up, and his mouth opened wide as if to deliver a deafening protest, but Gadeth quickly covered his mouth and shushed him.

"Are you _insane?!_" Noir hissed, his eyes almost bulging out as he grit his teeth and scowled at Gadeth. Subaru fluttered her wings, hiding her face in one of her wings because of Noir's outburst. Gadeth winced, edging back and putting his hands up to try and avoid Noir's wrath. "Do you know how hard it was to sneak in here? If it was any other person, they would've been dead several times over by now!" Gadeth smirked, as if to say, "why do you think I asked you?" to which Noir groaned and slapped his palm on his forehead. He growled low under his breath. "You better hold up your end of the deal, old man."

Gadeth smirked, shrugging and waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. Noir gave him one last glare before turning and disappearing around the corner. A small chuckle sprouted from his lips, and he looked down to the pile of ashes beside his cigarette butt. It was once a note with fancy writing, finished with the seal of one particular Caeli Knight. "That's only part _one _of your end of the deal, kid."

Whistling a happy tune, Gadeth turned and disappeared into the shadows.

...

...

...

"Brilliant," Falco heard her say, her voice drenched in mirth as she lounged on the luxurious sofa bed, "I'm absolutely brilliant. I have an entire army under my command, and those foolish little Asturians have no idea it's right under their nose." Rose laughed, throwing her head back and letting her wavy pink locks spill over the armrest. A few strands curled deliciously over her collarbones, leading Falco's eyes to the exposed skin right above her chest. "Aren't I brilliant, Falco, darling?" She asked, her eyes flickering over to his prone form leaning against the doorway.

"And quite lucky as well, Commander Rose." He told her, his face carefully blank as he let her eyes rove over his muscular figure in earnest. "You have managed to capture the esteemed saviour of Gaea, the Wing Goddess." Rose let out another chilling laugh, stretching her arms past her head and arching her back. Her breasts strained against the tight leather surrounding her body, slipping further down to expose more cleavage. Falco still didn't bat an eyelid.

"Yes, yes, the girl from the Mystic Moon." Rose mused, sliding one of her hands seductively down her body as she left the other one hanging over the armrest. "Her 'powers' are probably just a bunch of silly little stories, but I suppose its better to be safe than sorry." The woman sighed, twirling a lock of her pink hair around her index finger. "Besides, it gives the soldiers a moral boost." She grinned wickedly, turning to face Falco. He merely nodded in reply.

"But I tire of these petty crimes, Falco, dear." Rose said, looking back up to the ceiling with an exasperated and almost tired expression. "I'm growing impatient of staying in the shadows all the time." The woman sat up, flipping her long locks over her shoulder. She began to slowly peel her leather gloves off her hands, revealing long fingers that tapered off into neatly trimmed nails. "I want to rule the world; _now_." Her lips pulled down into a frown as she gazed at Falco with his hands in his pockets.

"Patience, commander." He reminded her, pushing off the door and stalking closer to her. "You shall have your empire soon, but patience is key." Rose grinned widely as he drew near, welcoming him by unzipping her leather dress, the fabric peeling away to reveal her luscious skin tainted with love marks.

"Then entertain me while I painstakingly wait for my inevitable rule."

Falco paused slightly, but obediently bent his head down to capture one rosy breast between his lips.

...

...

...

Hitomi sighed, burrowing herself deeper into the soft cushions of the large bed. The stab wound on her leg was still throbbing painfully, but she learned that not thinking about it helped dull the feeling. And Hitomi definitely had a lot to think about. In addition to the most recent revelation of Van's relationship with Ophelia, now she had to rattle her brain deciding whether or not to trust this "Falco" character that apparently worshipped her. But Hitomi had never been too good at multi-tasking, let alone multi-_thinking_, so she decided to tackle this logically. The most pressing matter at hand would be the first to think about. Hitomi nodded her head determinedly.

Right then, Van it was.

That probably wasn't the best idea she'd ever had, Hitomi had to admit in the back of her head, but even if she tried to think about whether or not this Falco person was trustworthy, her thoughts would eventually lead her astray to Van and Ophelia. Since coming to Gaea again, Ophelia was definitely the enigma Hitomi had no way of solving. She seemed to appear out of nowhere, and nobody knew where she came from. When Hitomi asked Van or Merle about it, they would just give her vague answers and change the topic. It was aggravating, to say the least.

Hitomi sighed into her pillow, turning her head to gaze at her reflection in the full-length mirror across the room. Other than the startling physical resemblance between the two of them, Ophelia and Hitomi were like day and night. Ophelia was the perfect queen; soft-spoken and virtually invisible when she wanted to be, but able to manipulate everything from the shadows with carefully worded phrases and kind smiles. Hitomi was the little green alien from another planet that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the aristocracy, with her short hair and strange way of speaking. She had no tact, bumbling through Fanelian politics and often found at a loss for words.

She winced, remembering one particular moment in Fanelia where some noble ladies had approached her and peppered her with questions, forcing her to smile unsurely as they giggled behind their fans. After that, Hitomi refused to travel outside her room without Merle, because the seer discovered that all the nobles – men or women – were _afraid _of the hellcat named Merle de Fanel. Then again, Hitomi couldn't really blame them. This _was _Merle she was talking about.

Shaking her head to disperse her mental lapse in concentration, Hitomi delved into the subject at hand. But she soon found that her thoughts were so jumbled up she couldn't draw a concrete line in anything. Sighing in frustration, Hitomi gingerly sat up and looked around the room for a piece of paper and a pen. Writing things down always helped.

After scrounging around and substituting a blank piece of paper for a mostly blank piece of book paper and a pen for a feather and some sort of black liquid Gaean make-up, Hitomi quickly got to work. She divided the space on the paper into two columns: fact and speculation. Then she set to work.

...

...

...

_Fact_: Ophelia is Van's stewardess.

_Speculation_: She's a stewardess so she can remain close to him for some inconclusive reason.

_Fact_: Van trusts Ophelia.

_Speculation_: He trusts her because she's important to him, like Merle is important to him.

_Fact_: A few maids were gossiping about Van and Ophelia being lovers.

_Speculation_: They were greatly misinformed, as rumours and gossip are usually inaccurate anyways. Even though there was always a grain of truth in them…

_Fact_: Van showed his wings to hordes of people because he believed Ophelia was in danger, even though he despises his wings to a sin. (And despises showing people those wings even more.)

_Speculation_: Ophelia is very important to Van.

_Fact_: Van once showed many people his wings… once during the great Gaean war against Zaibach ten years ago… for a girl who was very important to him.

_Speculation_: Possibly a girl he had feelings for.

_Fact_: Ophelia is incredibly important to Van.

_Speculation_: To the point where he may also have feelings for her.

...

...

...

It wasn't until she had shakily dotted the last sentence with her makeshift pen did Hitomi realize there were dark spots littering the torn piece of book paper filled with scribbles. Her hands were splotched with the strange Gaean cosmetic, and some of the words on the page were smudged. A few of them were caused by Hitomi's hand rubbing on them accidentally, but the rest were caused by those dark, wet spots that fell from her glittering green eyes.

She almost choked on a sob as she quickly pushed away the horrible piece of paper. The feather pen clattered on the coffee table in front of the couch she was sitting on, staining the wood of the table with black splatters. Whimpering, Hitomi quickly got up and ignored the burning feeling at the back of her thigh, heading to the washroom to scrub furiously at her ink-blotched hands, as if washing away the ink would also wash away the words she herself had written on the page.

The water in the basin turned a murky grey colour, and even though Hitomi used the Gaean soap to try to wash off the inkblots, they still left faded stains on her lightly tanned skin. Heaving her dry sobs into a calmer, more balanced breathing, the seer let her short hair hang in front of her as she gazed down into the dirty water. She couldn't see her face reflected in it, so she raised her head to cast her reflection in the mirror a withering gaze.

Hitomi let her dull green orbs wander over the pale skin of her face, up to the short strands of her sandy blonde hair and then down to the dark circles under her eyes. Her lips were cracked and dry, still feeling that way even after she licked them with her tongue. She pinched her cheeks, hoping maybe a little bit of colour in the fleshy part of her face would make her look even a tiny bit better.

It didn't.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she whispered softly to her reflection, staring hauntingly back at her. Her hands, laid flat beside the water basin, curled up into trembling fists. "Someone please…" Her bottom lip quivered before she buried her face in her hands. "Tell me what to do!"

"Well for one, you can stop your blubbering and get the hell out of here."

Startled, Hitomi whipped her head around to see a younger boy standing in the doorway of the bathroom, a rather large bird resting on his shoulder cocking her head curiously at the new human she encountered. The boy was covered in dust, obviously disgruntled by the look on his face. His arms were crossed as he glared at Hitomi, as if she was the cause of his current strife (which she was, but she didn't know that yet).

"Who… how did you—" Hitomi started, cutting off her sentences as several of them popped into her head. The young boy rolled his eyes, placing his hands on his hips in an almost "higher than thou" action.

"Noir." He said shortly, anticipating all of her questions. "And this is my bird Subaru. I'm here to rescue you on behalf of the _'esteemed Allen Schezar_', member of the Knight Caeli, captain of his own brigade, pilot of the guymelef Scherezade, playboy extraordinaire, etcetera etcetera." Noir drawled, motioning with his hand as he did so. Hitomi's heart did a leap as she heard Allen's name, relief beginning to pour through her.

"Allen sent you?" She asked excitedly. Noir groaned, suspecting she was another victim of the playboy's advances (which she was, once upon a time).

"Indirectly," he responded, "but yes, I suppose you could say that." Hitomi's expression melted into one of slight suspicion as she regarded the boy dubiously. He wasn't dressed in any sort of uniform, but instead looked like a normal boy; the type you would find on the street tripping unsuspecting people because it was fun. The bird on his shoulder was cleaning one of her wings, obviously bored by the conversation.

"Aren't you a little young—" Hitomi started, only to be cut off.

"Can we just get a move on? I have things to do and guymelefs to inspect, and the prospect of standing here and explaining every little thing to you is not exactly my idea of a fun day." He snapped, turning around stalk into the main room. Hitomi stuck her tongue out at him behind his back, but followed him with a limp into the main room. She was surprised to see Ophelia there, looking unsure in all the luxury.

Aside from the copious amount of dust and dirt littering her form, and the angry red lines encircling her wrists, the stewardess looked perfectly fine. Hitomi figured the red lines must've come from shackles of some sort, which meant that Ophelia was treated like an actual prisoner instead of a guest under house arrest.

"Lady Hitomi!" Ophelia gasped when she cause sight of Hitomi, rushing over and dutifully checking over any new injuries she might've acquired. Hitomi flinched when she prodded at the leg wound, a crease appearing in her forehead when she realized it had been aggravated to the point where it was swollen and red. "Lady Hitomi, what on Gaea—"

"We don't have all day, y'know." Noir drawled from the wardrobe. He opened it, pushing aside all the flamboyant clothing to reach to the wall behind it and reveal a secret passageway. Ophelia shot him a dirty look, as if wondering how he could be so rude when someone was injured. But Noir didn't seem to be bothered by it, and Subaru was contentedly nuzzling her beak into Noir's hair.

"My apologies." Ophelia bit out, which was probably as close as she would come to snapping at the boy. She turned to Hitomi, a kind and worried smile lifting her face as she held a hand out to gesture the way. Hitomi smiled a little painfully at her, swords of guilt and envy slashing at her heart. She was practically torn in two, wanting to like the kind woman, but finding herself wishing the stewardess would just disappear or something. It was no wonder that Van had fallen for her in the first place.

Sighing to rid herself of those thoughts, Hitomi hobbled forward a little, wincing at the pain in her leg. She grit her teeth, gasping when she stumbled and had to reach out for the table to steady herself. Ophelia was there to catch her, asking her if she was all right and all the other standard questions. Hitomi merely nodded to all of them, her gaze flickering to the small piece of paper with the dark spots and the scribbles of makeshift ink. Her hands clenched beneath her, shaking terribly.

"Lady Hitomi?" Ophelia asked, drawing slightly closer.

'_Please don't forget._' Hitomi whispered in her head to Van, knowing he couldn't listen but drawing comfort from the imaginary him she conjured up in her head. She pleaded with Van in her heart's mind for him to remember the time when she was the one he loved, and vaguely remembered herself that he had never said anything of that effect to her.

"Go without me." Hitomi blurted out, her short bangs shadowing her eyes as she shied away from her doppelganger. The seer could feel Ophelia's body stiffening beside her, shock taking hold of her body as she tried to look at Hitomi's face. "It's for the best." Hitomi said, squeezing her eyes shut as she warded off all of Ophelia's frantic questions. "My injury would only slow you down, and its better if you just go to Allen and make up some sort of plan to rescue me." She carefully avoided thinking about Van, hoping Ophelia wouldn't pick up on it.

"Lady Hitomi, I must protest—"

"That's an _order_, Ophelia."

The stewardess' body stiffened up again, but this time it was in a barely concealed rage. Stepping away briskly, Ophelia rigidly bowed to Hitomi before quickly escaping into the secret passageway with Noir and Subaru. Hitomi heard the slight thud the door of the passage made when Noir slid it shut, and she hobbled over to the wardrobe to rearrange the clothes and close the door.

Hitomi limped back to the bed, collapsing upon it before she finally let the tears blur her vision as it faded to black.

...

...

...

_He knew he wasn't dreaming. Van didn't know how, but it was like half-listening to the voice in his head telling him this wasn't a dream and registering it, but not fully taking it in._

_The first thing he saw was a large, luxurious bed pushed up against one corner of the room. It was about the same size as the bed in his room, most likely able to fit four or five bodies comfortably. But now, one person only occupied it. And without even looking at her, Van knew it was Hitomi._

_She looked very beautiful upon the bed. Her face was tear-stained, the wet patch on the pillow still slightly moist and dark. Van reached out to her, his heart pounding painfully in his chest when he realized she was miserable, and wishing nothing more than for her misery to end. She had endured enough suffering to last her a lifetime; maybe more._

"_Let me suffer for you." He heard himself say, but his voice was undoubtedly muted because he was not physically there, something that was made painfully clear to him when his hand slipped right through her cheek. _

_A shadow fell over him, so abruptly that Van turned around in fright, unable to stop it as the other man stepped right through him, heading for Hitomi sleeping peacefully on the bed._

...

...

...

"_No!_" Van gasped, jolting up in bed. The sheets pooled around his waist in a coiled effect, wrapped around his body like the waves in a beach. His shirt was rumpled on his chest, sticking to him like a second skin because of all the sweat glittering in the moonlight. The patches of dim light flickered constantly, moving around his body because of the dry heaving breaths he took as he came down from his nightmare.

"Nightmare…" He sighed, running a hand through his short obsidian bangs. "Yeah… just a nightmare." Van swallowed, grimacing when he realized his throat was parched. The cup of water on his nightstand was put to good use, replenishing the lost water content in his body. But even as Van was reinvigorated with water, he found he could still not sleep, and set out of his bed with the intention of some late-night sword practice.

Stripping his soaked shirt and finding a dry one, Van reached out for his sword and strapped it to his hips, smiling at the comforting weight it brought. He found his boots as well, slipping them on quickly before exiting his room with the silence and stealth of his foster sister Merle. Never let it be known, though, that he had actually asked the hellcat to tutor him in the ways of sneaking around. The councilmen would have a fit.

Breathing a sigh as he stepped out into the courtyard, Van took a deep breath of the cool night air, the chill feeling glorious on his humid skin. He could pick out the several guardsmen stationed at the gates, watching him curiously to see if he would try to take off. Van, not wishing to be confined to his room again, merely drew his blade and stepped into the easy motions of his swordsmanship.

It was only until he was getting comfortable did a guard call out to him, his face a blank mask in comparison to the news he brought forth.

"What is it?" Van asked, lowering his arms and sheathing his weapon.

"The Lady Ophelia has returned."

...

...

...

Hitomi was sleeping quite peacefully, but she was awoken by the sounds of clanging metal and hoarse screams just outside her door. With a gasp, her breath shortening in fear, the young woman sprang up from her bed, eyes fixated on the closed door of her makeshift prison. She didn't notice Falco standing above her, his arms outstretched until he softly called out her name.

"Lady Wing Goddess."

She reacted in a most typical way; jumping violently and screaming at the top of her lungs. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and she almost didn't hear someone shout her name from just outside the door. Falco's head whipped over to it, grimacing when three bodies barrelled into the room, one of them landing on the floor with a shriek.

"You filthy cretin!" Rose screeched, rising up on her stiletto heels with a furious flush dotting her cheeks. Her leather dress strained against her body, harbouring a few cuts that exposed her pale flesh. Her red lips twisted in a disgusted snarl as she wielded in her hand a lethal whip, decorated with spikes that were dripping with blood. Hitomi realized with a paling face and a horrified gasp that the blood came from the two warriors standing in the doorway; Van and Allen.

"Hitomi!" Van cried, spotting her immediately in the room. His face held a few scratches, but it was his chest that almost caused Hitomi to pass out. There were a few holes in his chest caused by the spikes from Rose's whip, bleeding steadily. Numerous scratches ran along his torso, some deep and others shallow. The scratches didn't stop at his chest though, as it also ran down to the wrist he used to hold his sword. Rose had obviously wrapped her vicious weapon around his arm in an effort to make him drop his sword.

"Falco!" Rose snapped, holding back the two sword fighters with her whip "Stall these two nuisances. I'll regroup with whatever soldiers we have left and escape." She commanded, keeping her eyes firmly on Allen.

Unlike Van, the Knight of Caeli looked a little better. He still had numerous scratches on his body, but he harboured no holes. It was a testament to the fact that he was able to escape being wrapped in Rose's spikes. His blonde hair was matted with blood, though, and his blue eyes were ice cold as he glared upon the red-haired rebellion commander.

"We've already arrested your rebellion soldiers. Surrender now; even if you escape, we'll find you again." Allen told her, holding his sword out to deflect another blow from her weapon. Rose looked upon him with a sickening glee, laughing hysterically as she flicked her wrist to attack again. Hitomi was reminded of Dilandau, seeing her dilated eyes and the blood that caked her body.

"'Find me'?" Rose questioned, unable to contain the trembling of her body as she continued to laugh. "If you didn't plant a spy in my army, you never would've figured out where we were hiding! What makes you think you can find me again if I escape all by myself?" Laughing louder, Rose backed up until she stood in front of Falco's chest, leaning her head on his shoulder in the way a lover would.

"Commander Rose…" He murmured, looking down at her. She didn't meet his gaze, keeping it firmly on Van and Allen as they tried to advance.

"Falco, love, stall them for me, will you?" She cooed, like she was his lover asking for a small favour. "Just give me enough time to get away. You'll do that for me, won't you?" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, coated with sugar and every manner of sugary badness as she leaned into his body. He took a few steps back, but she didn't think too much of it.

"I have done many things for you." Falco told her, laying on of his hands on her neck in a seemingly affectionate gesture. She smiled with triumph, leaning further into it. But then her eyes widened, and she choked on her own spit as the tip of Falco's sword went right through her chest. It dripped with the blood from her heart, staining the wood floors of the room. Falco was certain that if her blood were equivalent to her personality, than the droplets of her acid heart would burn right through the floor.

"Falco…" Rose gasped, shock quickly turning to betrayal and rage. "Falco…!" He smirked, bringing his lips close to her ear, not caring much about her whip as it had already dropped to the floor.

"I have done many things for you," he repeated, his breath ghosting over her ear, "but I will do no more."

And with that, he wrenched his sword out of her body, letting her finally die as she slammed against the wood floor. Hitomi, too terrified to cover her eyes, watched with a shuddering gasp as Rose's blood pooled around her body, staining her mouth until the seer wasn't sure where her crimson red lipstick ended and where it began.

_

* * *

A/N _Aaaaand the next verse is OUT! YES! I AM ON A ROLL!! Let's hope this massive writing spree lasts until I finish the final chapter of Yubiwa (which is actually like, the ninth chapter because I forgot to include the epilogue). Anyways, this is the end of the Zaibach Rebellion phase. Told ya it wouldn't last long. For those who know where the characters Gadeth, Noir, Falco, and Rose came from, I give you brownie points! For those of you who want to kill me because of the recent Hitomi/Ophelia/Van development, I just have one thing to say to you (and its something I'm going to be saying a lot). Please bear with me! I assure you that this fic is a VAN/HITOMI!!

Right then. Comments, questions, criticisms?

Remember to review! It makes me happy (and makes me work faster)!!

Snowflake Flower


	5. Verse 5: First Love

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 5: First Love**

...

...

...

_With my first love, I first realized_

_That there could be such sorrow._

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...

...

"Better?" Allen asked, replacing Hitomi's pillow back onto the bed and gently easing her down onto it. Millerna had just finished checking the seer's leg, muttering under her breath about idiots who couldn't care less about their own damn health. Hitomi overlooked it, smiling slightly at the concern that radiated across her face despite her harsh words. Celena was sitting demurely at the seer's feet, watching her brother as he carefully adjusted Hitomi's injured leg.

"Thank you, Allen. And Millerna." Hitomi replied, smiling up at the two blondes as they fussed around her. The past day seemed almost like a dream to Hitomi. After watching Rose being brutally murdered in front of her by her own subordinate, the seer fell into an almost dream-like state of wakefulness. She could feel nothing, say nothing, and think nothing when Allen picked her up in his arms, arguing with Van in clipped tones as he marched out of the rebellion headquarters. When they got back to the castle, Millerna had immediately taken over, sending Allen and Van to the castle physician while she personally took care of Hitomi.

"There's nothing to thank me for." The queen told the seer as she dried her hands with a towel. "If you hadn't run off and aggravated your injury, there wouldn't have been any reason for you to think you _needed_ to thank me." Hitomi flushed, ducking her head at the obvious scolding she was getting from the other woman. Millerna opened her mouth, as if to continue on and point out all the other things she had done wrong, when the door opened and Van entered the room with Merle and Ophelia.

"Hitomi!" Merle exclaimed, a bright smile on her face as she catapulted herself onto Hitomi's bed. Celena and Hitomi gasped a little when the bed shook, rattling them both. Allen reached out to steady Hitomi, carefully making sure her leg was fine before he turned to check on Celena. Van stood behind him, his crimson eyes tracking the Caeli Knight's every movement with a rather neutral gaze.

"H-hi Merle." Hitomi answered, a little breathless as she smiled up at the cat-woman. Merle settled down at her side like a cat as she began to lick the back of her hand, her tail curling around her. Van stepped forward, Ophelia shadowing his movements. She had cleaned herself up, her long brown locks braided and wrapped into an intricate style. The bandages on her wrists (that further hid the injuries there) were covered by the long sleeves of the gown she wore. "Hi Van… and Ophelia."

"Lady Hitomi." Ophelia answered, dipping into a low bow whereas Van immediately stepped forward to her bedside, pushing Allen further down to stand beside his sister. The knight seemed a little disgruntled, but didn't voice any complaints and Van hadn't noticed. Celena seemed to notice, however, and merely giggled at her brother behind a delicate hand.

"How do you feel?" Van asked Hitomi, his crimson eyes trained on her forest green ones. Hitomi was a little unsettled by his strong gaze, but she managed to conjure up a sweet smile to reassure him she was anything but unsettled.

"I'm alright." She answered, tucking a stray lock behind her ear as her gaze flickered to her cerulean bed sheets. If she closed her eyes and listened carefully to the sounds of the sea outside her window, Hitomi would almost feel like she was floating on water, the tide taking her anywhere and everywhere as long as it was away from the troubled thoughts of her heart.

"Okay, okay." Millerna cut in, her hands on her hips as she glared at everyone in the room. "Now that we all know Hitomi is _perfectly_ fine, you all need to get out so she can rest for another day before she starts her physical therapy." The doctor told them all, shooing them out of the room. "Van, Dryden said the councilmen wanted to talk to you about trading, and Allen, Gadeth is waiting in your office to give his full report of the Zaibach Rebellion." Simultaneously, the two men groaned as they were pushed out the door, Ophelia and Celena giggling quietly as they followed close behind. It was only Merle that the Asturian queen needed to glare at before she sulked out of the room, her tail puffing up as the queen pinched her ear to get her to hurry up.

Hitomi sniggered at them quietly as she watched them go, never knowing the pointed glance that Van snuck to Ophelia's jade eyes just outside her door.

...

...

...

The delightful fragrance of the courtyard flowers reminded Hitomi of a perfume her mother had frequented wearing, and tried to ignore the little pang of homesickness that resounded in her chest.

"Come on, Hitomi! We've barely even started!" Millerna called from up ahead, her hands on her hips as she studiously tracked the seer's process. They had just begun the rehabilitation exercises, and Hitomi was steadily limping her way to the end of a long pathway of flowerbeds. She tried to ignore the throbbing in the back of her thigh, focusing instead on her friend's voice and the bright flowers swaying gently in the breeze. Some of them were watered, the droplets glittering from the light of the sun.

"I'm coming!" Hitomi called back, taking it one step at a time. She saw Dryden pass by, waving to her with his peculiar grin and planting a small kiss on Millerna's cheek. She flushed a little, but shyly smiled up at him and watched as he walked away. There was an undeniable look of love blossoming in her face when she stared after him, only turning back to Hitomi when he had disappeared from her sight.

"Great! Now let's try walking once around the courtyard." Millerna said, her long dress fluttering prettily around her as she linked her arm with Hitomi's, leading her through the flowerbeds. The unmarried of the two tried her best to support her own weight, preferring not to rely on her friend to walk.

"Millerna," Hitomi piped up, suddenly curious and looking for some sort of distraction to keep her attention diverted from her throbbing thigh, "what happened while I was away? I thought you separated with Dryden because of your feelings for Allen." Millerna blinked in surprise, whipping her head to look at Hitomi with her jaw dropped. She had obviously not expected that question.

"A-ah, well…" the queen stuttered, flushing bright red and turning to look forward, partially hiding her blush from her friend. "It's quite a long story…" she mumbled, just loud enough for Hitomi to hear. The seer grinned in a very Cheshire cat way, nudging the other woman with her elbow.

"We have time." Hitomi prodded, and she was probably right. Because of her injury, the two of them were walking quite slowly. "And I'm curious." Millerna looked back at Hitomi, unable to resist the innocent curiosity shining in the seer's eyes. The queen sighed, twirling a lock of her blonde hair between her fingers and pursing her lips, clueless as to where she should start.

"First of all, I separated with Dryden because I realized I was too dependent on someone else for my happiness. I wanted to find my happiness by myself, which is why I also refused to go back to Allen. Dryden went off to start his own business, because he wanted to become a man worthy of me." Millerna said first, and Hitomi nodded, smiling a little at the romanticism of it all. Millerna's cheeks turned pink for a split second before she went back to the story.

"It wasn't until three years later that anything between us really started. He never kept contact with me, so I have to say it was quite a surprise to see him at my eighteenth birthday party. He called out to me, asking for a private conversation on the balcony. So I followed, and we stood in silence for a while before he asked me… before he asked me whether I had found my happiness yet." Millerna smiled nostalgically, a blush working its way up to her cheeks as her heels made slight clicking noises on the stone pathway below her.

"I didn't know how to tell him that I hadn't found it yet, but he just seemed to _know_ without me saying anything. He just seemed to know that I was suffocating under the inevitable life of a princess, like a bird in a golden cage. He knew that I wanted to be _free_, to spread my wings like I once did in the Great War ten years ago. So he gave me that chance. He let me run away with him, follow him on his travelling merchant business and see the world with my own two eyes. We were together for so long… and I just…" A wistful smile broke over her face.

"You fell in love with him." Hitomi finished.

They reached the end of the garden, and Hitomi turned to Millerna with a smile. She could see the queen's embarrassment, but she could also see the beautiful feelings entrapped in her blue eyes, waiting to be let out. There was a little pang in Hitomi's heart as she gazed at her friend who was so in love with her husband. It made her heart swell with longing as she saw a flash of Van's crimson eyes and obsidian hair in her mind, his face kind and gentle as he smiled at her.

Millerna picked up on her change of emotion, and smiled reassuringly at the younger woman. "Don't worry, Hitomi. You'll get your happy ending too." Before the seer was able to reply, Millerna was called off to do her queenly duties, leaving the Earthling standing behind the sweet-smelling flowers, her lips quirked up in a pained grimace.

"Will I?"

...

...

...

She was swathed in colours of spring green, the skirts heavy on her lithe body as she studied herself in the full-length mirror. It had been so long since she last wore any of her Earth clothes, forced into the customary gowns of Gaea in an attempt to fit in. It certainly didn't help that her only Earth clothes had been hidden away somewhere deep in her Fanelian wardrobe. She had tried finding them once, only for Ophelia to catch her with her posterior poking out of the closet and hearing her angered whispers as she smacked her elbow a few times against the sides of the wardrobe. It was probably after the time of the incident in the marketplace, and the stewardess had gone a deathly white when she finally pulled Hitomi back into bed.

Sighing, the seer spun around, her mind set on walking out of the room for some breakfast when a trail of long, blonde hair caught her eye.

She gasped.

"Allen!" Hitomi squeaked, her arms instinctively pulling up to cross over her chest. Allen's blue eyes sparkled in mirth as he carried two trays of food into the room, setting them on the table in the little breakfast nook. (Yes, she had a breakfast nook in her bedroom. It often made her wonder what Millerna's bedroom looked like…) There was an assortment of delicious foods littering the trays, and Hitomi's mouth watered when the scent of fresh bread wafted up to her nose. With a little blush, the young woman tried very hard not to run to the other side of the room, settling herself in a chair before heartily attacking the first meal of the day with vigour. Allen chuckled, dipping into his own food with a semblance of decency, starting first with the goblet of milk near his hand.

They ate in silence for a while, Allen noticing that Hitomi was much too occupied with her breakfast to pay much attention to the knight sitting across from her. But soon enough she had slowed, sneaking glances up at the knight when she thought he wasn't paying attention (which was quite presumptuous of her, as warriors never let their guard down).

"Um… thank you for bringing me breakfast, Allen." Hitomi said meekly after she took a sip of her own milk, her green eyes flickering to her plate. Allen smiled lightly, his blue orbs twinkling when he told her it was his pleasure. The silence had taken over after that, only the clinking of their utensils resounding in the room as they finished off the last few scraps of their food.

Hitomi peeked up at Allen again, tracing his matured face with her eyes and comparing it to her memories of him in the Great War. She had been so in love with him, once upon a time. At first, it was because he resembled Amano so much that she had no choice but to pay attention to him, but then she soon realized that he was everything a girl could ever want. Charming, handsome, a perfect gentleman, and – literally – a knight in shining armour. He was the starring character in every teenage girl's fantasies.

But Hitomi wasn't fifteen anymore.

A bitter smile graced her lips as she remembered Millerna wasn't either.

"Hitomi?" Allen questioned, having obviously picked up on the change in her mood rather quickly. Her head snapped up to meet his, and she smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I was lost in thought." Allen smiled at her reply, setting his fork down on his plate with a little _clink_ before he leaned back into his chair, eyes questing for something Hitomi wasn't sure she had.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked, and her mouth went dry. She was certain Allen knew of her feelings for Van, but the thought of spilling her guts out to the man she called her first love wasn't exactly the right thing to do, she imagined. Because if she remembered correctly, Allen, too, had loved her once upon a time. If that loved survived an entire decade of separation, she wasn't sure.

"Millerna… told me about her and Dryden yesterday in the courtyard gardens. She had mentioned… that she didn't want to be with you because of her own struggle of finding her happiness by herself." It was a nice replacement, but still a lie. The seer hoped the knight wouldn't pick up on it, but his blue eyes sparked in doubt for a moment before it disappeared under a more thoughtful glint.

"I remember those times quite well. Princess Millerna had suddenly disappeared one day, and the entire kingdom was in a panic until she sent a letter to the palace a week later, proclaiming she had gone 'soul searching', and was currently very safe in Dryden Fassa's 'capable hands'." His face had gone sour there, and Hitomi was sure he was wondering how Dryden's hands could be any safer than the entire military of Asturia. Hitomi tried to bite down a smile at seeing the Schezar's pouting face, but then her expression dropped into one of neutrality as another thought wormed its way into her head.

"Do you think your hands are more 'capable'?" She asked. Allen blinked in slight shock, before a grim smile spread over his face and he propped his chin on his hand, his elbow supported by the armrest. That pensive look came over his face again, and his sapphire blue eyes flickered to the window on the other side of the room, displaying the beautiful waves of the glittering sea.

"I don't know anymore." He admitted, the air around him turning sombre as he continued to gaze out the large windows. "Before, he was just another merchant, selling his wares. But now he controls an entire kingdom, and he has an entire army under his control. With just a flick of his finger, he could send hordes of men out to protect her, including me. How can I measure up against the very person whom I've pledged my loyalty to?"

Hitomi didn't know how to answer. So she stayed quiet, wondering if he still loved Millerna, or that small part of her that resembled Marlene. She stayed silent even as he apologized for intruding on her, taking their empty plates and disappearing from the room as if he had never intruded, the only thing betraying his passing the warm food that rested in her stomach.

Hitomi stayed soundless until the Queen of Asturia had burst into her room, the flurry of her pink skirt loud and boisterous in comparison to the hushed folds of Hitomi's own.

...

...

...

The room was undeniably girlish in its design, soft pastel colours littering every surface Hitomi could see. Celena Schezar was seated on a lavender armchair, her summery blonde hair curling around her face and drawing attention to the upward curve of her pink-painted lips. She was adorned in a flowing pale green dress, nursing a small cup of tea when Hitomi stepped into the room.

"Good afternoon, Lady Wing Goddess." Celena greeted, bowing in her chair. The inhabitant of the Mystic Moon couldn't helped but blush, her blue dress swishing this way and that as she settled onto the armchair opposite of Celena's. It was a dusty pink, offering no squeaks of complaint as she eased down onto it.

"Good afternoon, Celena." Hitomi replied, smiling at the other woman. She was curious as to why the younger Schezar had requested an audience with her, but chose not to ask and simply accepted the invitation. She still wasn't sure if that was a good idea, as she remembered correctly that Celena's alter ego – Dilandau – had once wanted her dead. Swallowing down her fears, Hitomi picked up the tea that Celena offered her. "So was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked, taking a sip of the aromatic tea.

"Forgive me if I sound… pretentious, Lady Wing Goddess, but I am merely curious. I have heard many stories about you from my brother and Princess Eries." She admitted, a faint pink dancing over her cheeks as she set her teacup down. The kind smile spreading over her face made Hitomi wonder why she was cautious of this woman at all. Celena was a total sweetheart!

"Well that depends what you'd like to know. I have to say I'm not a very fascinating person." The seer chuckled, setting her own teacup down to smooth her hands over her dress, a nervous habit she was developing after wearing so many of them.

"On the contrary, Lady Wing Goddess, I think you're amazing!" Celena burst out, standing up from her seat and frightening Hitomi a little bit. The Schezar gathered her skirts in her hands, shuffling gracefully to Hitomi's side and kneeling like a humble servant to their master (or a worshipper to their deity). "You almost single-handedly ended the Great War! If it weren't for you Gaea would have no future!"

The words were spoken with such passion and unwavering faith that Hitomi was once again reminded of just how much she had impacted the people of Gaea. It terrified her, knowing that all these people depended on her to protect them, even if she might not have the power to do so.

"Well, I don't really believe that." Hitomi cut in, her hands entwining together on her lap as she smiled nervously at Celena. "I admit I might have been… some help," she said, ignoring Celena's outburst of, "much help!" to continue on. "But I doubt I could have done it all by myself. I've had so many people helping me along the way, getting me to where I needed to go. When I first came to Gaea, I was so _lost_. I think anyone would be, suddenly being thrust into a new world, with no idea of where to go and what to do." Hitomi paused, her hand reaching out to lie gently on Celena's shoulders. "I'm sure you felt like that too."

The Schezar was at a loss for words, and Hitomi could feel her trembling softly until her head ducked down and she began to sob silently on the seer's lap.

"It's not fair!" She wailed, quivering as Hitomi stroked her light hair sadly. "I'm a twenty-five year old woman who still feels like she's fifteen! I shouldn't have to be protected and coddled by my own brother; I should be able to stand on my own two feet, but I can't!" Celena continued to babble on, her words mucking up as her sobs worsened. Hitomi merely listened to her incoherent sentences, letting Celena's summery strands run through her fingers as she remained quiet, her presence more than enough comfort for the distraught Schezar.

Once she had quieted down to only a few sniffles, Hitomi cradled Celena's face and turned it up to look at her forest green eyes. She could see the glistening tears in Celena's blue orbs, still making a steady path down her pale cheek to drip onto the wet patch of Hitomi's skirt. The seer didn't pay the moisture any notice, though, as she helped Celena to her feet to deposit her on the large couch beside her armchair.

"Celena, you have to understand that Allen loves you so much." Hitomi said, handing the Schezar a handkerchief. "After you were kidnapped, he was so torn up about it because he had failed in protecting you properly. Now that you're with him again, he's taking all the precautions to make sure you won't disappear like before." Celena sniffled, dabbing her wet face with the scented cloth as she began to look more peaceful.

"Really?" She asked, breathless. A light smile spread over her face, and she clutched the handkerchief close to her as her eyes flickered to her lap. "Well… Gaddes _did_ say that brother was only dating so many women to try and forget that he thought I was dead." Hitomi blinked in surprise, staring at the beauty of Allen's sister and wondering how Allen ever thought Hitomi could replace such a kind person in his heart. Quickly, resentment started to fester in her chest, irritated that the knight she had once loved had only thought of her as some substitute.

'_Don't think on it._' Hitomi told herself, shaking her head free of those dark thoughts. Celena didn't need to see those emotions, having been surrounded in them for so long. Instead, she focused on the slight blush in Celena's face, another thought popping into her head as she smiled slyly. Merle would've been proud of the expression that took hold of her face.

"Gaddes?" Hitomi piped up, picking up her cold tea to take a sip, stifling the urge to grimace at the temperature. Celena's face lightened red, and she tried to hide it behind the flimsy cloth in her hand. "Is there something you're not telling me, Celena?" Hitomi teased, leaning forward a bit with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"N-no! No, nothing at all, Lady Wing Goddess!" She squeaked, bolting up to shuffle over to her original seat, taking her own tea in an attempt to look normal. She took quite a mouthful, surprised at the cold temperature of the drink and choking on it. Hitomi tried to rise to help her, but Celena stopped her with a raised hand, quickly getting herself under control again. Hitomi sighed a little in relief, until her mouth curved down in a pout.

"Please just call me Hitomi. Lady Wing Goddess sounds… too important for my tastes." Celena opened her mouth to protest that it didn't sound 'too important' at all, but a quick narrowing of Hitomi's forest green eyes immediately changed her mind, and she bowed to the seer, humbled at the honour of calling Gaea's saviour by her first name.

"Of course, Lady Hitomi."

Hitomi just sighed.

...

...

...

Allen didn't know what to expect when he walked into the palace courtyard, seeing Hitomi resting by the side of the fountain and striking the water with enough force to send splatters of liquid over her coral dress. He was sure she was just venting some stress, but Hitomi usually took to running when she needed to clear her head. Her injury probably had something to do with the fact she had, instead, taken to violently striking the water of the fountain.

"Hitomi?" The knight called out, stepping closer. She froze when she heard his tenor voice, her hand half-submerged in the crystal clear liquid. Allen had swiftly walked up to her, smoothly taking a place beside the young woman on the side of the fountain to put them on the same level (even though he was still taller and had to look down at her). "Is there something wrong?" He asked, only to greet her blank face as she turned her head to look up at him.

"I spoke with your sister the other day." She said nonchalantly, raising her hand slightly to begin to draw circles on the surface of the water with the tip of her finger. Allen was not surprised to hear that, having been subject yesterday evening to Celena's excited chattering about the Wing Goddess whom she had become great friends with. When Celena gushed about it, Allen didn't think there was much cause for concern, but apparently there was. Hitomi was giving him a strangely unsettling feeling, as she remained so calm it was almost empty.

"Celena wouldn't stop talking about you." He said, chuckling a little to try to ease his discomforted feeling. He shouldn't really be so uncomfortable, should he? I mean, this was Hitomi he was talking about! She would never do anything bad to him. But Allen's instincts screamed otherwise.

"Funny." Hitomi started, her eyes flickering to the floor before she began to rise slowly, her words a lie but her tone expressing nothing but what he would view as the truth. "Celena couldn't stop talking about you too." Her back was turned to him, so the seer didn't see the surprise dotting Allen's face as he rose to follow her (although she probably anticipated it).

"About me? What did she say?" He asked hurriedly, hoping it wasn't anything bad. Hoping that Celena thought the world of her brother and wasn't really pretending to be so much like a sweet little sister when all she wanted to do was smite him and drag him to his grave. It had always terrified Allen that Celena would not need him anymore; would not love him as her rightful brother but instead some stranger trying to fulfill his duty from so many years ago.

"Not much." Hitomi admitted, picking at a loose thread in her dress. "She had just mentioned that the only reason you were such a womanizer was because you thought you could drown your sorrows in the sins of female flesh." That was an utter lie, but she couldn't help the words that spilled out of her pink lips as she continued to walk steadily to the inside of the castle. Allen's eyebrows shot up, and he quickly stepped forward to grab Hitomi's elbow, twirling her around to face him.

"What?! Celena would never—" Allen stopped mid-sentence, shock marring his face as the ugly truth of Hitomi's untruth burst through the tears trickling over her face.

"Tell me the truth, Allen." She bit out, wrenching her arm out of his in a desperate attempt to seem stronger, as if her face wasn't tear-stained and scrunched up in frustration and betrayal. "Was I just some stupid _replacement_? Like Millerna, and her older sister? And all those other women you deceive on a daily basis?" Her tone was undeniably venomous, and at the same time maddeningly heartbroken as she fell to her knees in front of him, covering her shameful face with her hands.

"Hitomi, how could you ever think something like that?" He asked her, dropping to his own knees to pull her hands out of her face in order to see her clearly. She struggled, slapping him a few times with one of her hands before her body grew limp, obviously tired with everything and wishing for nothing except its end. "Celena was dear to me, yes, that's true. But Hitomi, I would never have pursued a romantic relationship with you – with _anyone_ – if I wasn't being genuine about my feelings."

Allen cradled her face, turning her sparkling eyes to look up at his, her vision blurry from the tears. "How could you ever think you were Celena's replacement? For one thing, the both of you are nothing alike." Here, Hitomi let out something between a sob and a snort, beginning to dry her cheeks with the back of her wrist. Allen stopped her, fishing in his pocket for his handkerchief and patting them dry himself. "You are your own beautiful, unique, amazing person, Hitomi. How could anyone mistake you for anything but yourself?"

Hitomi was silent for a long while, letting Allen mop up the last of her wet tears as she sat there and peacefully contemplated all that he had said. Was that really what he thought of her? All of those wonderful qualities that he listed… was that really was she was like?

"Is there something you're not telling me, Hitomi?" Allen asked, seeing the blank look in her face that he knew she only got when she was thinking about something strongly. "Does this have to do with being a replacement?"

She wasn't sure how he did it, but it was all Hitomi could do to just burst into another round of hysterical sobs, burying herself deep into the royal blue jacket Allen was wearing. It was all Allen could do to just wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly to his chest, wishing he didn't have to hold her only when she was crying, but instead because she wanted to be in his arms because she loved him.

It was all Van could do to not burst from his place behind a large pillar and separate the Schezar's head clean from his neck.

...

...

...

They were leaving in a couple of days. Van had made the announcement earlier that morning, and Dryden decided to let the Crusade escort the Fanelian party back to their country. He said it was reassurance, in case some of the Zaibachian rebels came around again. They may have taken out the leader, but there were still minor parties all around Gaea, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Hitomi decided, after her many months of walking and running therapy, that she would take a trip down to the docks to visit the crewmembers of the Crusade before her departure.

She just decided not to take the carriage.

"Hey, it's the Wing Goddess!" Reeden cried, poking his head out of the window of the crusade as he saw Hitomi in a simple shirt and loose shorts, jogging up to the airship docks with little trickles of beaded sweat trailing down her face. Gaddes looked over, shoving Reeden out of the way as he spotted the seer down in the empty space with a hum.

"So it is." He muttered, turning to head off the ship to find out what the esteemed Wing Goddess was doing at the docks. He didn't say anything as his brother, Gadeth, quickly fell into step behind him. Since helping with the invasion of the rebellion headquarters, Gadeth was reassigned to Allen's crew onboard the Crusade, and had taken to his job splendidly.

"Little lady!" Gaddes called out, nearing the younger woman to catch her attention, "what are you doing here?" He noticed the fine layer of sweat that settled over her skin, unbothered by the smell of her workout because he was exposed to odours quite worse than hers.

Hitomi smiled when they came within talking distance, shrugging. "I needed to get out of the castle and just run. I haven't done that in a long time." She giggled, kicking her legs out in a demonstration of her newly healed thigh. Gaddes could tell she was ecstatic by the way her face glowed with a new light. He was happy for her, one corner of his lip quirking up in a smirk.

"Well don't overwork yourself, little lady." Gaddes told her seriously. "Something else could go wrong." She pouted at him, clearly miffed he was raining on her bright, sunny parade.

"Don't jinx it, Gaddes!" Hitomi told him, before noticing his brother standing behind him. Her eyes widened, and she looked from Gaddes to Gadeth with an expression of disbelief in her eyes. "Gaddes, did someone clone you?" She asked incredulously, mentally wincing at the thought of the word 'clone', as it seemed to bring up unwanted pictures of Ophelia in her head.

Gaddes laughed, shoving his brother forward with another smirk. "Naw, this is my twin, Gadeth. He was a major help in your rescue down at the rebellion HQ. Was like, a spy, and all that." Gaddes waved it off as he talked about his brother's accomplishments, almost like they were nothing but mundane achievements. However, Hitomi could tell from the upward tilt of his head and the twinkle in his eye that he was actually quite proud of his twin.

"Its an honour, Wing Goddess." Gadeth said, his speech and posture much more refined than his brothers. Hitomi liked him immediately, smiling brightly at him before she thanked him for his hard work. "Oh, its nothing really. I'm just doing what I need to do." He told her, and she admired him for his modesty.

"How were you ever able to infiltrate the rebellion?" Hitomi asked. She was almost afraid she asked when his eyes darkened, and he looked away as a shadow crossed over his eyes. Gaddes laid a hand on his brother's shoulder in comfort and encouragement, knowing what was to come.

"I joined the Zaibach military and its required for every soldier that joins Zaibach to get a special tattoo that shows you're in their army. I stayed for a little bit, but quite soon after I realized they were just a bunch of pompous bastards, and quit. Because of my betrayal, my captain sent out soldiers to kill my wife and our unborn son." If Gadeth heard Hitomi's sharp gasp of shock, he didn't show it. "I swore my revenge on them, and when the commander was getting no leads on the rebellion headquarters, I stepped in." His face was graced with a bitter smile. "But even then, that doesn't change the fact that she's gone. That they're both gone."

Hitomi tried not to cry at the defeated tone of his voice, her fingers curled tightly into her palms as she wondered if there was any sort of hope in the people of Zaibach at all. She hoped so dearly with her heart that there was, because the young woman was frankly tired of all this suffering. She just wanted it to end.

"But my time has passed." Gadeth said, suddenly cheerful again. He turned to his brother, clapping him on the shoulder with a cheeky smile that told Hitomi he really was Gaddes' twin. "Now, I have to make sure this guy doesn't wreck his chances with the commanders sister." A wide smile blossomed over Hitomi's face.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed, laughing happily. "Oh, wow, Gaddes I'm so happy for you! And Celena!" The second-in-command of the Crusade flushed red, hiding the bottom half of his face in his hand as he turned to the side, trying to avoid his brothers teasing whispers and Hitomi's excited clapping and hopping. "How long have you been together?" Her voice suddenly went quiet, like they were sharing a forbidden secret.

"About three years." Gadeth filled in, his voice dropping into a whisper as well. Hitomi pestered him for details, and the two looked very conspiratorial hunched over, whispering to each other with Hitomi giggling every now and then. Gaddes thought he had just about enough of this, grabbing the back of his brother's collar scruffily and dragging him towards the Crusade.

"Come on, idiot. We got work to do!" He shouted, and Gadeth waved goodbye to Hitomi as he was forcefully dragged away, leaving the seer dissolving into giggles in the empty dock.

...

...

...

Hitomi had been in a prison once. She had been shut away in the dungeons of Freid when she was only fifteen. But she supposed it was something entirely different to be freely roaming the prison halls of Asturia's jails, trying not to look at the people in the dark cells who stared at her leeringly, wondering why the great Wing Goddess was bothering to pay a fellow convict a visit.

"Here it is, Your Holiness." The head guard announced, stepping to the side and displaying a cell that was identical to all the others, but at the same time vastly different. The structure was the same; stone cold walls and rusty bars to keep the criminals inside. The hard cot pushed to the back of the cell was of the same material as all the others, and the food tray resting on the floor held all the same rations that the other cellmates were given.

But the man inside of the cell was nothing like any of the others. He sat on the cot, not leaning against the wall like many of the other prisoners but instead sitting straight and tall as if he was seated on a throne and had hundreds of people worshipping him at his feet. But as soon as he saw Hitomi step into view, his head bowed down in reverence and he started to mutter prayers under his breath.

"Falco?" Hitomi asked, stepping close enough to grasp at the steel bars. The vice-commander stood, stiffly walking towards her but remaining a safe distance as if he remembered the last time he tried to get too close to the young woman.

"Please, Lady Wing Goddess. I implore your unmarred hands not to touch the filthy bars of my imprisonment." He requested, his eyes trained on her delicate fingers wrapped loosely around the prison bars. Hitomi was a little surprised when she listened to him, her fingers sliding off the rusted metal and coming to rest on her long skirt. She wasn't sure what emotions ran through her when Falco's face seemed to lighten after her hands slipped down to rest at her side.

"Why are you in here?" Hitomi asked, her fingers curling up into her skirt as she stared at him through the gaps in the bars. "You… you saved me, so why did they still lock you up?" She was unable to stop the tears that began to prick incessantly at her eyes, forcing her to squeeze them shut. Falco was silent as she spoke, his eyes remorseful as he watched her break up in tears.

"I asked for this, Lady Wing Goddess." Falco told her, ignoring the shuddering gasp that popped Hitomi's green eyes back open to stare at him in shock. "I killed my commander, yes, and I saved you, a Knight of Caeli, and the Fanelian King, yes; but I am Zaibachian. I have done terrible things in Emperor Dornkirk's rule. It is only fitting that this is where I remain for the rest of my days." The seer didn't know what to say to that, and she shifted herself to the side, thoughtful.

"Can't you try embracing a new life? Can't you think of it as a chance to start over?" Hitomi asked him, the soft yellow of her dress a stark contrast to the dreary halls of the dungeons. She almost seemed like a beacon of light and hope, always out of reach but close enough to feel. Falco shook his head, the undeniably strong sense of honour in him unable to allow him the chance to cheat himself of his sins.

"If I do not pay for my sins, then I would not be able to pass on peacefully. Please allow me to do this, Lady Wing Goddess. It is selfish of me to decline a holy being, but this is my most sincere wish." His dark eyes stared unfailingly into hers, and Hitomi could see the honesty rampant in his gaze, even when he was standing in the dark cell. Letting out the softest of sighs, Hitomi figured she wouldn't be able to change the mind of someone so stubborn.

"Alright. If this is what you really want." She relented, surprised when a gentle smile curved his mouth up. It made her wonder how a man so honourable could have ever been in league with that Commander Rose, or those rather controlling Zaibachians. If only he had been born in a different place; maybe a different time. She smiled then, remembering the original reason she had come here.

With a flourish of her shimmering amber skirt, and all the grace and nobility that Millerna had tutored her in, Hitomi dipped into a low curtsy, a soft smile playing at her lips as she slowly righted herself.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, Falco. I pray for your jail sentence to be quick so that you may begin your life anew in the beautiful city of Asturia."

She turned and left, the guard following her rather stiffly as she left Falco much more humbled than when she had first met him.

...

...

...

"So you're leaving tomorrow."

Hitomi turned to look at Allen, who was seated beside her on the daybed as they both looked out the window of her room, watching the sun set gloriously over the Asturian Sea. From her vantage point, the young woman could see the airship dock, and her heart fluttered excitedly as she thought of going back to Fanelia. Asturia was really a wonderful place, but Hitomi would love nothing more than to go back to the country she thought of as her second home.

"Yes, I am." The seer replied, looking back to the gentle waves of the ocean and committing them to memory. She tried not to think about how much time left she had in Gaea before Van sent her back home again. The question was, did she want to go back?

No. She didn't.

Hitomi was prepared to spend the rest of her life on Gaea with no regrets about leaving home. She was a grown woman, who could make her own decisions and who was leaving her family already to start her life in college. What difference did it make if she replaced Gaea with her post-secondary education? Sure, she wished she could've done things differently. Like telling her parents of her leaving, and staying a little while longer to see Yukari and Amano marry, but she had already made her decision before she even thought about it properly.

Now she wondered if that was such a great idea. Now she wondered if she was really wanted here at all. If she could take the heartbreak and the many miserable days that it would bring. Could she be able to stand Van loving another woman?

"Hitomi? If you press any harder, you'll draw blood." Allen said, interrupting her train of thought. He was grabbing at her hands, unfurling her fingers to see red areas of where her fingernails bit into her skin, creating short lines all across her palm. "Is something wrong?" He asked, clearly worried when his body shifted to face her. Hitomi tried to ignore the heat from his body as he scooted closer, trying to examine her hands for any spilled blood.

"Nothing." Hitomi said, pulling back from him and avoiding his intense blue eyes. "It's nothing." She repeated, more to herself than to the man sitting next to her. It was a weak attempt of convincing the both of them that nothing was wrong, even though it was much too obvious that something was.

"Tell me." He goaded, his eyes soft when Hitomi turned to look at him. She searched his blue gaze for a long time, the nasty little voice in her head beginning to tell her that her doppelganger spent more time with _him_, looked better with _him_, and was prettier and more intelligent than her in every way. And suspiciously enough, the voice sounded like Ophelia, soft and lilting, with a hint of underlying steel to its tone. It was the voice of a queen.

'_Fanelia's queen._'

"I told you it was nothing!" Hitomi shouted, bolting off the daybed to press her hands to the cool glass windows, breathing heavily. Allen rose after her, taking slow steps to her side in case she lashed out at him again. Her head was ducked down, and there were slight quivers wracking her body. The cream-white dress she was wearing made her look like an angel standing beside him, close enough to touch but so far away at the same time.

"Is it Van?" Allen knew it was by the way every cell in her body seemed to freeze at just his name. It made him angry, wondering why he was holding himself back all this time if she was having doubts about the person he had put his trust in. So he reached out, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face him, his blue eyes gazing at her with such force that she gasped out loud.

"Stay."

Hitomi blinked.

"W-what?"

Allen's face was grim with determination. "Stay with me, in Asturia." The knight said, leaning down to look at her, his blonde locks spilling over his shoulders as he continued to stare at her. It didn't bother him to see the utterly shocked look on Hitomi's face, even when she had remained silent for quite a while. "I love you Hitomi, I still do even after all these years." Allen said, slowly moving her body closer to his so she could see the softening of his blue eyes trained on her own green ones. "I was serious when I said that I would never replace you with someone else; _especially_ not my sister."

It felt like a dream. Or better yet, like she was in a really bad episode of a really bad soap opera that just took a dramatic turn. Now that she was thinking of it, Hitomi's life _was_ like a really bad soap opera! As if the events of the Great War weren't good enough (with Allen, and Van, and Millerna, and Marlene, and all those other people), now she had to involve Ophelia! It just wasn't fair! Why did her life have to be so damn complicated?!

"Allen, I…" Hitomi began, realizing she had stayed silent for quite a while after Allen's confession. She wanted to say something, but just didn't know what. So she went with what she knew. "I'm sorry, but I… still love Van. Even if he does probably love Ophelia, I can't just—"

"Wait, what?" Allen cut in, jostling her a little to stop her reply. "You mean his stewardess? She's his lover?" Hitomi flushed deeply, turning her head away from him when he said that oh-so-dreaded-word she never wanted to hear.

"W-well, that's what a couple of maids said—"

"Rumours? Hitomi, you know gossip is nothing but fabricated lies." Allen cut in, staring at her sternly. She flushed a deeper red, obviously embarrassed that she would believe something that everyone knew was only to cause controversy and conflict. But she still had a few more points up her sleeve, remembering that little chart she sketched while she was in the rebellion 'prison'.

"He showed the entire market his wings to find her." Hitomi shot back, glaring at him with her forest green eyes. "And Van hates his wings! He's only ever showed them to a few people!" Her voice was rising now, as if everything she said was true and there was no way that she could lie about anything or try to fool herself otherwise. Allen simply stared at her as the tears began to gather.

"Hitomi," Allen began, soothing her tears by wiping the pad of his thumb across her cheeks, "he probably hasn't told you this, but Gaea has grown very fond of Van's existence as a draconian. It was an after-effect of ending the Great War." Hitomi's eyes widened, and a little gasp escaped her lips.

"So… so he might not love Ophelia?" She asked, breathless with hope. Allen smiled, a bitter, heartbroken, but happy smile.

"He loves _you_."

...

...

...

The door closed softly behind her, and Ophelia couldn't see in the very dark room she had just entered. The curtains were drawn, displaying the full moon in all its glory, shining into the room and casting eerie shadows everywhere. Through that soft glow of the lunar planet, Ophelia could see him sitting on the bed, his skin covered with sweat that glittered in the light like the silver scales of a dragon.

He was beautiful.

"Lord Van." She said aloud, taking a step deeper into the room as he shifted to face her, his crimson eyes almost glowing in the darkness. She took that as a sign to proceed, the hem of her dress whispering along the floor as her slipper-clad feet eventually brought her to the edge of his large bed. The sheets were tousled and tangled, an indication that there had been some sort of struggle. Her lips turned down in a frown, but it quickly went away.

"No formalities." Van said, speaking for the first time since she entered the room. His voice was raspy and deep, almost seeming to echo through the room and vibrate through her body, sending her weak in the knees. "Not tonight."

"Of course, Van." Ophelia replied just as softly, her voice rhythmic and delicate in the silence of the room. As if she had done this so many times before, the stewardess of the Fanelian king eased onto her lord's temporary bed, smoothing away the tangled sheets as she went. He did not move as she settled beside him, staring at her but saying nothing when she began to slide the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders. The fabric pooled around her waist, and the luminescent rays of the moon shone happily on her skin, displaying the nude mounds of her chest to Van's gaze.

She reached out to him, her soft hand skimming his chest with feather light touches as she leaned into him, slowly and carefully. She did it in a manner that seemed as though she was trying to keep peace with a furious, but silent, dragon; always moving little bit by little bit. Van still remained perfectly still, and at this point Ophelia could feel the small shivers of his body turning into violent quakes that forced rasping gasps out of his mouth.

"Ophelia… Ophelia, I can't—" he started, his voice higher than normal and shaking, undeniably terrified. Ophelia leaned into him, pressing her bare chest against his and wrapping her arms around his back. Her slim cheek was pressed against his sweaty shoulder, and she took in his masculine scent as her long hair fell in waves around both of their bodies. The gentle breaths from her mouth turned into a whisper, and Van fell to his emotions in one mind-blowing rush.

"It's okay, Van. I'm here."

_

* * *

A/N _Yes, I am evil. Yes, I love being evil.

I know you're totally going to just _kill_ me for this chapter. Please keep in mind that before you hurl burning pitch-forks at me that for me it was just as hard writing this chapter as you reading it. But rejoice! The next chapter has a nice amount of Van/Hitomi fluff!

I'd also like to point out that when I post chapter 6, **I will be changing Yubiwa's rating to M.** So if you aren't on the alert list for my story, make sure you check the M rated Escaflowne stories.

That's everything! Hope you guys like this chapter! (Though I kinda doubt that...)

Snowflake Flower


	6. Verse 6: A Smile As We Parted

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 6: A Smile As We Parted**

...

...

...

_Even if something lapses away, something will_

_Live once again._

_When you gave me a smile as we parted, it was_

_Your message for me_

_To truly live with all my heart._

...

...

...

The royal Fanelian leviship flew over the great metropolis that was Van's country, throwing a large shadow over the people as it flew onto the docks. Hitomi was pressed up against the glass windows, in awe as she saw all the townsfolk below, looking up to the leviship in excitement. Their king was back! The Wing Goddess was back! Hitomi could almost hear them exclaiming it to each other before rushing over to the leviship dock to greet them with banners, cheers, and bright, bright, smiles.

"King Van! Welcome home!"

"Lady Wing Goddess! Welcome back!"

Van chuckled as he heard them outside of the ship, looking to Hitomi as she stared a little hesitantly at the door that would lead them to the rest of Fanelia. She was undoubtedly unused to all the attention, having come from a place where she was just another face in the crowd. But that uneasy feeling evaporated soon enough, when Van reached out and grasped her hand in his, squeezing it in comfort and offering his kind smile to her forest green gaze.

"Let's go, Hitomi."

She couldn't help the bubbly feeling rising in her chest as Van opened the door, following after him as he kept his grip tight on her hand, and she kept her grip tight on his.

"Yeah. Let's."

...

...

...

The mirror was outlined by a golden frame that had little designs carved into it, swirling along the length of the mirror. It was subtle, existing but unnoticeable because of its small size. Hitomi supposed that was what her dress was like.

"You look very beautiful, Lady Wing Goddess." Her own personal maid said, bowing as she stood to the side of the mirror and allowed the seer to gaze flabbergasted at herself. The material was white; not like the cream-white she wore when she last talked to Allen, but a pure white that seemed to glow even in the darkness. It highlighted the dusty pink fluttering over her cheeks and gave her forest green eyes an ethereal presence.

"I… I certainly _feel_ beautiful!" Hitomi responded, her pink lips curving up in a sheepish smile. She didn't know why, but she was in a very happy mood today. Even if she ended up seeing Ophelia in all of her beauty, Hitomi was sure that wouldn't put a damper on her mood. The seer was just feeling too giddy and confident for any of that troublesome moping, and it showed in her face as well.

"Lady Merle awaits your presence in the dining hall. Shall I lead you there?" The maid asked, her head ducking down so they didn't meet eyes. Hitomi just smiled softly, tilting the younger girl's head up herself as she answered.

"No, that's fine. I already know the way." The maid stared at her with wide eyes, trying to wrap her head around the fact that she had locked gazes with the esteemed Wing Goddess. Hitomi tried to ignore the honoured curtsy the maid dipped into as thanks, and merely turned, her white dress swishing deliciously around her calves as she made her way out of her room.

The hallways were empty for the most part, a few servants scuttling around carrying linens and other such things. Whenever they spotted Hitomi, with her glowing white dress and striking green eyes, all of them would drop their carried items, staring at her in awe and admiration. Quickly, as if reassured of her validity as a goddess, they would all drop to their knees before her, muttering prayers under their breath (much like Falco once did) as she passed. She tried to ignore them, but found herself unable to.

Sighing, Hitomi turned the corner of the hallway; at first not noticing the open door she walked past. But then she heard the sounds of heavy breathing, and backtracked to peek in through the small crack of the door. A sense of nostalgia stirred within her, when she remembered that this was the exact door she had peeked through ten years ago to see Van and Balgus training together. The only difference was that this time, it was just Van.

She was silent for a long time, just standing there and watching Van as he swerved fluidly around the training room, his sword gleaming as he held it. It winked at her, light dancing across the blade as the sovereign slashed downwards, the tip of his sword hovering millimetres above the wooden floor. Hitomi remembered watching him do that in a forest late at night, and she could feel the nostalgia swelling up within her once more.

"Hitomi?" She heard him say as his crimson eyes spotted her half-hidden in the doorway. The young woman blushed, sliding the door open the rest of the way and stepping into the room, her hand coming up to wave a little. The white of her dress shimmered as she moved, entrancing Van's eyes as he raked his stare all over her body. She flushed red when she noticed, crossing her arms as if that would shield his blatant appraisal.

"S-sorry about interrupting. I was just passing by, and the door was open." She admitted, sheepish as her green eyes darted to the floor, avoiding his fiery eyes. Van put his sword away, laying it in the elaborate case in the training room. He hadn't been practicing for very long, so there wasn't any sticky sweat coating his body, only a warm temperature that radiated from him when he got close enough for Hitomi to feel.

"It's fine." He told her, smiling softly. "I was getting tired of practicing anyways." Hitomi looked up, her lips curving into a shy smile as she played with her dress. "You look… beautiful, Hitomi." Van breathed, reaching out, but stopping before he touched her. She was disappointed, but tried not to show it, and instead covered it up by letting a wide smile pull her lips upwards.

"Thank you."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, as if the both of them were back to the times of their shy, self-conscious, not-a-kid-but-not-yet-an-adult period. But Hitomi was supposed to be past that stage of her life, and she thought so resolutely after peeking a glance at Van's flushing face, which she was pretty sure wasn't from his workout. As for Van, it was becoming painfully obvious to him that Hitomi was a woman; a very beautiful woman that his people just so happened to think was a goddess (somewhat his fault, he supposed).

"Is there a special occasion?" Van asked, gesturing to the splendour of the dress. Hitomi looked down at herself, thinking that it seemed quite simple to her, and must've looked better on her than she had ever imagined. It was floor-length, skimming the tips of the ground when she walked and feeling light and fluttery around her legs. The bodice fit nicely against her figure, and the straps were thin, criss-crossing her back.

"Oh, no reason really, I was just—" Hitomi started, only to be cut off as Van blinked in surprise, grasping her wrist. He was wearing his trademark brown gloves, and Hitomi contented in the feel of the leather against her skin, even though she would've loved nothing more than to feel his bare hands just like that night so long ago.

"Really? That's a shame for such a lovely dress." He said, stepping closer to her body as his (when did they get like that?) smouldering crimson eyes locked onto her nervous forest-y ones. "Maybe… _we_ could do something?" Van asked, smiling gently at her as he took her other wrist in his leather-clad hand. Hitomi's heart was almost about to burst from her chest as she saw him leaning closer. Her lips were parted, and her fingers curled around his wrists for extra support as she began to rise on her toes in order to get closer.

"Anything." Hitomi breathed, continuing to advance as his lips got closer and closer. She could almost feel his breaths on her cheeks when suddenly he pulled back, his mouth grinning widely.

"Great!" He exclaimed, letting go of one of her wrists to drag her out of the training room. "Follow me!" And Hitomi couldn't help but follow, delighting in the feel of his hand clamped tightly around her wrist, but lamenting in the loss of a missed opportunity.

...

...

...

"Van!" Hitomi shouted, her voice not seeming to reach the king's ears as he dragged her up the stairs that never seemed to end. "Van, where are we going?" she shouted again, trying not to let the huffing show in her voice. As a track runner, it was something of an embarrassment to be so winded just by climbing a few steps, but Hitomi supposed the blame could be put on that damn scar at the back of her leg.

"Just a little more, Hitomi!" She heard him shout back at her, and she struggled to keep up with his long strides. One hand was gripped in her skirt, lifting it high above her feet so that she wouldn't trip and fall, and it was in that moment that Hitomi desperately wished to be wearing pants like Van was. And boots too. High heels _killed_.

Trying to ignore the painstaking throbs in the soles of her feet, Hitomi was finally glad to see a door up ahead, which Van pushed open. Light flooded in, blinding her for a few moments before she was pulled through it by Van, still going at his excited and rapid pace. It was only until her eyes adjusted to the brightness of everything that she realized she was standing on the roof of Fanelia's palace.

"Just… give me a couple of seconds." Van said, but Hitomi had not heard him, for she slowly made her way to the edge of the roof, peering over it and down to the Fanelian people going about their ordinary day. Van watched her for a little, awed at the sight of her dress that seemed to glow brighter than ever before. The sun's rays played off the shimmering fabric of her gown, lighting up her entire body until it almost seemed to flush pink with happiness.

The people down below her seemed to notice it too, and one-by-one, all the city folk turned their heads up to the sky to gasp and awe at the sight of Hitomi looking down on them, as a benevolent goddess might look down on her followers. That is, until she suddenly started to fidget around with something below her, cursing and shouting at the unknown thing for being a blasphemy to all the planets of the universe.

Hitomi sighed with relief as her bare feet gingerly touched the stone floor of the roof, the coldness feeling good on her sore soles. Beside the young woman, lying sideways and already forgotten, were the pair of high heels that she had borrowed from Merle (because her own shoes were still being made). The seer often wondered how Millerna, and Celena, and Merle could take walking around in those… _deathtraps _every single day! But then again, Hitomi was much more used to runners and sandals than heels, unlike most of the girls she knew (including Yukari).

A light breeze wafted by, sending little bumps up and down Hitomi's arms as she stood in its way. Suppressing a shiver (and failing), Hitomi reached up to rub her hands along her arms, trying to get rid of the strange texture appearing on her skin. She didn't notice Van sneaking up behind her; his red shirt discarded on the floor somewhere and the unearthly existence of his empyreal wings rising high above him. They curled smoothly inwards, shielding the Fanelian King and his Wing Goddess from the harsh elements, bathing them in celestial light and glowing warmth.

"Van?" Hitomi breathed, turning to face him as he smiled down at her, his obsidian hair tousled around his face. She could still see his shining crimson eyes through all that hair, and felt her heart skip a beat when she realized that there was no one around to interrupt them; no Merle, no Allen, and _definitely_ no Ophelia. It was just Hitomi and Van.

A very devious Van, it seemed when Hitomi caught sight of the mischievous smile that spread over his face. "Wanna go for a ride, Hitomi?" He asked, and for a second, she wasn't sure what he meant by that. But then his wings unfurled, feathers dancing everywhere as she felt his bare hands grabbing her waist. They left tingling sensations imprinted in her skin, remaining there even after he had catapulted her into the sky.

"VAN!!" Hitomi screeched, flailing her arms in panic when she realized he was still standing on the edge of the Fanelian rooftops, waving to her with a smile as if she was leaving Gaea via a pillar of light. But the problem was that there was no pillar of light. There was just Hitomi, the blue, blue, sky and her obvious lack of unearthly, ethereal wings.

Van watched, entranced, as Hitomi hovered in the air, her white dress flowing around her. While Hitomi and the people of Fanelia saw her falling to the cold, cruel ground, Van saw a goddess descending to her followers, ready to bestow them with miracles and blessings. But of course, Hitomi wasn't a goddess, and she really _was_ falling to her doom. So, the young sovereign of Fanelia stepped to the very edge of the roof, pushing off and finally letting himself take flight into the skies with a powerful burst of his wings. He soared up, arms outstretched to catch his goddess as she fell in midair, cradling her to him once she was safely in his arms.

"Have fun?" Van asked her cheekily, smiling even as her green eyes narrowed at his crimson ones, her hands curling into fists that began to beat at his chest. Hitomi tried not to think about how hard his chest was as she thumped her tiny fists against it, and how gentle his arms were as he carried her in the sky. Van tried to pay attention to the words spewing out of her mouth instead of the pretty blush that extended across her cheeks.

"—terrifying, and completely unnecessary—" she ranted, continuing to beat at him with her fists while glaring into his crimson eyes that sparkled with mirth. "—and what if you didn't catch me? My brain could be splattered all over the ground right now and—" Hitomi continued, stopping suddenly and with an imperceptible gasp when his sparkling eyes flat-lined, narrowing with hurt as his arms instinctively tightened around her petite form.

"Hitomi," Van whispered softly, adjusting his arms from under her body to around her waist and forcing her to grab his shoulders in order to balance herself, "I'm always going to catch you."

For a moment, all Hitomi could hear was her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She was suddenly entirely aware of his bare chest pressed up against hers, his thick arms wrapped around her tiny waist. Her own arms were loosely entangled around his neck, seemingly there for support that wasn't needed. She was painfully aware of all of those things until Van's smile came rushing back, and he began to glide away into the direction of the forests.

"Come on, I thought you might like to see Escaflowne again." He said, weaving through the trees and branches and leaves like he had done it a million times before. Hitomi wasn't sure how she felt about seeing the old guymelef again, since it seemed to be such an integral part of the Great War. It was almost like seeing it again would really solidify all that she had gone through, and all that Van had suffered in order to gain what he had today.

When they broke into the clearing, and Van set her on the dirt floor, Escaflowne was the first thing that she saw. It was still the same, sitting there with that majestic presence it always seemed to have. For a second, Hitomi was reminded of a God, sitting high above his people and watching over them, bringing calamity or peace depending on what he believed they deserved. And then she was brutally reminded of herself, and of that celestial power the people of Gaea believed she had over them.

Hitomi crossed her arms, trying to quell the shivering that had occurred because of the thought. She tried to focus on happier things, but the seer soon realized that that was quite impossible, remembering the last time she saw this place in the forest. It was right before that pillar of light descended, carrying Hitomi back to Earth and her family, and away from Gaea and Van.

"Hitomi? Are you alright?" Van asked, cutting her train of thought as she whipped around in surprise. His wings were gone, but he was still bare-chested. She looked away quickly, trying not to give in to the temptation of ogling at his abdomen for long periods of time. If he noticed her blush, he didn't say anything, opting instead to stand beside her and look out at his country nestled in the mountains.

"The rebellion is gone." She said lightly, avoiding his question. Van let her topic change slide, going along with her as he smiled softly at Fanelia.

"Yes, it is." He answered. Hitomi gave him a glance from the corner of her eye, lingering on his face before she turned back to the grand sight of the little country in the mountains.

"Fanelia is safe." Hitomi prodded, beginning to twiddle with her fingers now as Van turned to her and gave her a quizzical stare. She refused to look at him, keeping her eyes trained firmly ahead, and avoiding his eyes even as he stood directly in front of her.

"What are you saying, Hitomi?" He asked, and Hitomi turned to walk closer to Escaflowne, wondering if it was such a good idea to do what she was doing. But then she thought about Yukari and Amano, and her mother and father and brother on Earth. She thought about the college tuition they already paid for, and her packed bags in her room. She thought about Ophelia, with her sweet smile and her stern glare.

"You don't need me here anymore, Van." Hitomi said, smiling sadly at Escaflowne as if she was saying goodbye to him one last time. "You probably didn't need me here at all. I've done nothing but be a burden to you. To Millerna and Dryden and Allen and everyone else!" The anger began to bubble beneath the surface, and she whipped around to glare at Van even as the tears began to drip hotly down her cheeks. She couldn't stand seeing the anguished look on his face, even through the blurs of her tears, so she turned back, hugging herself in the comfort that didn't seem to come.

"Do you want to leave?" The seer heard him ask. She didn't know whether to nod or shake her head, but Van didn't give her the option to do either. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and pulling her back to his chest, burying his nose in her hair as she stiffened beneath him. "I don't want you to leave, Hitomi. Please… please don't go."

Hitomi didn't know what to do, so she closed her eyes and let the last of her tears fall, taking deep breaths and relishing in the feel of his arms around her. "Then I'll stay." She told him, smiling softly. "I'll stay for as long as you want me here." And she feverishly hoped that it was forever.

...

...

...

If there was one thing Hitomi learned from this entire experience, it was that you should never anger a hellcat. Especially if that hellcat was Merle.

"I said I was sorry!!" The seer cried hysterically, dodging to hide behind a couch as Merle chucked silverware and tea sets at her, hissing with her tail all puffed up. She looked positively hellish, with her entire face red and claws that gleamed menacingly in the light. They were just as intimidating as the forks and knives that stabbed into the wall behind Hitomi and the couch in front of her. She could hear the little ripping sounds as they made contact, and shivered.

"Those were my precious _heels_!" Merle hissed, a plate hitting the wall and miraculously falling to the floor intact. "I let you borrow them because I thought you'd _wear_ them at least! But what do I find? That they were left _discarded_ on the _roof_!" For a moment, Hitomi wondered what was so important about a simple pair of heels, but decided that her life was far more important than finding out the answer to what Merle would consider a stupid question.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hitomi tried again, clutching the back of the couch and praying she got out of this in one piece. "I swear it'll never happen again!" Merle scoffed, and Hitomi felt the palpable taste of her rage die down. The hellcat was calming, which was a good thing. But the question now was, is it safe enough to peek over the top of the couch to talk to her?

"Of course it won't," Merle said nonchalantly as she walked over with a sway in her stride, plopping on the couch, "because I'm never lending you any of my clothes ever again." Hitomi sighed in relief, figuring keeping to her own closet was better than having her eyes scratched out by a hellcat. But she supposed it still was not safe to come out, and leaned on the back of the couch to get comfortable. Hitomi took that time to look around the room, examining all the walls and furniture in Merle's bedroom. It was all very beautiful, but Hitomi couldn't help but notice something strange.

"Merle? Your room is right beside Van's, right?" She asked, hearing the cat-woman reply with a, "mmmhm!" which puzzled her even more. "So… why doesn't it have a door leading to his room like my room does?" When the light hums of the older woman suddenly stopped, Hitomi knew there was something wrong. She poked her head over the top of the couch, glaring at Merle who was trying to look everywhere but at Hitomi. "Merle…" Her voice was tinged with warning, and the cat-woman winced.

"Just for the record, I was against putting you in that room from the beginning." Merle said snarkily, reverting to her former thirteen-year old self who at first despised Hitomi and the relationship she was slowly developing with Van-sama. "But… that room is, well, the Fanelian Queen's bedroom."

Merle continued to go on about why there was a door connecting their rooms, and how she was still against it, and all these other things that Hitomi had no care for. The only thing she heard was "the Fanelian Queen's bedroom" repeatedly playing in her head. It brought up so many questions about why she was put there, why she was _still_ there. Maybe a shortage of rooms? Or maybe it was the only room nice enough for the "Wing Goddess"? It could've also been the one reason Hitomi wished so desperately for, but was too afraid to embrace the possibility because she'd merely have her heart broken. And that was because Van wanted to make her his wife. Because Van loved her like she loved him.

...

...

...

Dinner was delicious, and Hitomi sighed happily as the door to her bedroom (or the Fanelian Queen's bedroom…) clicked shut. She leaned against it, rubbing her full stomach in complete satisfaction before heading over to the large bed. She plopped onto it, burying her face in the pillows and closing her eyes happily. Throughout dinner, Van had turned almost all of his attention to her, and they were chatting constantly and smiling and laughing at each other. In fact, Van said he'd love to continue the conversation after Hitomi had claimed a full stomach.

Giddy, the seer got up from her bed and walked over to the door separating their rooms, knocking hesitantly. There was the sound of some shuffling in the other room before Van opened the door, staring down at Hitomi with a bright smile.

"Come in, Hitomi." The king said, inviting her into his room. She crossed into his room, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked around. Hitomi took care not to stare at the bed, and avoided it as best she could. Instead, she took a seat on the couch pushed up against one of the walls, pleasantly surprised to see hot tea and some snacks on the coffee table in front of her. Someone had obviously anticipated her arrival with enthusiasm.

Van noticed her cheeky grin, and he flushed red as he sat down beside her. "So, how is the Mystic Moon different from Gaea?" He asked, continuing their conversation from dinner. They were discussing Hitomi's home planet and their customs there, which was a nostalgic experience for Hitomi and a fascinating one for Van.

"Earth." She reminded him. "At home, we call my planet 'Earth'." Van repeated the word, getting his mouth used to it while his companion smiled happily at his effort of trying to understand her better. "Well for one, we don't have animal-people like Merle or Ruhm." Van blinked in surprise, his mouth dropping open when Hitomi announced that. He couldn't imagine a world without animal-people, especially Merle and Ruhm. Hitomi just smiled knowingly, continuing on. "We don't have leviships either. We have something called airplanes."

They talked for a long while, Hitomi trying to teach Van about technology, and the different modes of transportation, and Van revealing aspects of Gaea that Hitomi had never known before. Like the basic mythology of how Gaea was created, and the gods and goddesses worshipped by the Gaean people before Hitomi came along to guide them as the Wing Goddess.

"But I don't have special powers!" She argued with him heatedly, her eyes narrowed. "Well, at least not ones that could really make a miracle!" He gave her a pointed look, as if reminding her of that thing that happened ten years ago (four in Earth years) that she had been a key chess piece in. Which then dove into a discussion about chess, and other games that Earth and Gaea had.

They talked for so long that soon enough a comfortable silence took hold of the room, both still having more to say but deciding to remain quiet and just enjoy the atmosphere. The tea had long gone cold, the snacks left uneaten. Hitomi felt a little guilty for letting it go to waste, but found it easy not to think about when her head was leaning comfortably on Van's shoulder.

"Hitomi…" Van started, and she hummed in response, to let him know that she was listening. "Are you happy here? On Gaea?" He asked, his body suddenly tense as he awaited her answer. Hitomi sat up straight, looking at Van with surprised eyes when he asked her that question. His crimson eyes turned to look at her, the emotions in them intense and sending shivers up her spine.

"Of course I am, Van." Hitomi said. She wanted to add, '_I'm happy wherever you are._' But decided against it. Instead, she told him, "If I wasn't happy here, I wouldn't stay."

Too bad those words would come back to haunt her much sooner than she anticipated.

...

...

...

She bid him goodnight, entering her room but not closing the door, instead letting only a sliver of light pass through. There were a few moments of prolonged silence, in which Hitomi just leaned against the door with a light smile playing at her lips. A stifled giggle came over her, and she muffled the rest of her girlish squeals with two hands clapping over her mouth. Her heart was soaring past her chest, dancing around the room just as she began to twirl, her pale yellow nightdress fluttering around her.

Hitomi neared her bed, collapsing upon it with more hushed laughter as she wondered how she was possibly going to get to sleep. Every cell in her body seemed to be thrumming with adrenaline, screaming at her to do something. But it wasn't long before the effect died down, and she was left spooned on the bed, recounting all the tiring (but fun!) things that happened to her that day. Flying through the air with Van, trying to quell Merle's spastic temper, and basking in the silence of Van's room as she used his shoulder as a pillow. That was the image she fell asleep with, the feeling of Van's breath on her hair and his hard shoulder pressed against her cheek.

...

_She dreamt of him that night, with his wings unfurled and standing at the royal Fanelian grave, Escaflowne seated directly behind him looking as majestic as ever. He was turned to her, staring at her directly with his crimson eyes open, but looking empty. Between the feathery appendages extending from his back was the ghostly form of Ophelia hovering there. Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders before they started to wind around his neck, bringing her closer to him._

_Hitomi was able to do nothing but watch as her light brown hair draped over him, her chest pressing into his back. Van's head turned to look at her, his eyes hooded and still empty, while hers were glazed over in an emotion Hitomi was unable to identify. The curve of her lips inched slowly closer to Van's own, and her entire body seemed to start to melt into him with every moment the gap got smaller._

_Just as Ophelia's pliant pink lips brushed delicately over Van's, Hitomi screamed._

...

With a shuddering gasp, the seer jolted up in bed, her fingers curled violently in her bed sheets as she tried to ascertain where she was. Even in the darkness of the room, Hitomi was able to pick out her familiar surroundings, and her heart slowed somewhat after her mind established that this place was safe. That she couldn't be hurt here.

A deep, shaky breath invigorated her bloodstream, filling her body with life and reality as she managed to uncurl one of her hands from its desperate hold on her linens to reach up and cover her green eyes. She didn't remember what she dreamed about, but it was painfully obvious that from the way she was shaking, it wasn't a very happy dream.

Taking a few more breaths to calm her shaking to something manageable, Hitomi wondered what she was going to do now. Did she want to go back to sleep and dream something horrible again? And maybe even remember it after she woke up? The scared young woman didn't find that particular choice comforting, and thought maybe a trip to the kitchen for some warm milk would do. But she didn't think her shaking legs would take her very far.

It was then that she heard shuffling on the other side of the door that separated her room from Van's. Was he still awake in the middle of the night, she thought? Surely he would be an immense amount of comfort to her, and she wouldn't feel so guilty about waking him while he was sleeping if he wasn't actually sleeping. So Hitomi took that chance, throwing the bed covers off her pale legs. The nightgown she wore to bed had hiked up, and she pulled them back down with a furious flush. Taking another deep breath to ready herself, Hitomi was able to stand on her shaking legs with relative ease.

Afraid she would fall spontaneously, Hitomi took to slow steps as she inched her way to the connecting door, her arms stretched out for balance. With every step she took, the shuffling from Van's room got louder. He seemed to be agitated, or aggravated for some reason, which worried Hitomi slightly. She quickened her pace, reaching the door in half the time it would have originally took her. The cold metal of the doorknob felt good on her heated hands, but the uneasy feeling that shocked through her body when she touched it didn't.

'_Van probably had a nightmare too._' She thought to herself, tightening her hold on the handle. '_We can comfort each other._' With that thought resolutely in her mind, Hitomi took one final deep breath as she silently opened the door just a little, enough to peek through. She was prepared to expel all that gathered air in her lungs once she saw Van pacing his room, maybe running his large hands through his obsidian hair in frustration. But the sight that greeted her eyes had blocked the passage of exhalation in her body, offering her nothing but the ice that frosted over her beating heart, and the falling tears that held all of her hopes and dreams.

"Van…"

She wasn't sure if the breathy whisper of his name came from her mouth or from Ophelia's, but she was very sure the pale legs wrapped around Van's waist were not her own.

Another tear dropped to the floor, the carpet underneath her soaking it in just as Van's head bent forward and his lips closed around one pert nipple. His strong hands were gripping Ophelia's waist, her own delicate hands resting on his strong forearms in order to balance herself as she tipped her head back, her long brown hair hanging like a curtain under her head. From the way Van's hips were thrusting forward into that special place between Ophelia's legs, Hitomi was sure she was intruding on something that was sacred and private, and undeniably not hers.

Just as silently as she had crept to the entrance of Van's room (maybe even more silently), the young woman stepped away from the little crack, pushing the door until it closed completely with a soft, '_click_'. She backed slowly away from the noises on the other side of the wall, climbing into bed with her eyes now dry and covering herself with the blanket. For a long time she lay there, listening to the faint sounds on the other side of the wall, her grip on the bed sheets tightening as a muffled groan traveled its way to her ears. She continued to listen even after everything had gone quiet, and she was left with nothing but the ice in her heart and the tears on her pillow. Until she could hear nothing except Allen's words echoing through her head.

'_Van loves __**you**__._'

She didn't know who "you" was anymore.

...

...

...

Merle yawned as she walked down the hall where the royal Fanelian bedrooms were located. It was a miracle she was able to fall asleep that night, her sensitive ears picking up the racket coming from the other side of her wall. The next morning, everyone could almost see the concern pouring off of her aura in waves, puzzling them. But none of them bothered asking because it was the cat-woman's business, and if you tried to poke your nose in her business, more often than not you would be wearing scratches up and down your arms.

She sighed, stopping in front of Hitomi's door and knocking casually. Merle had already stopped by the formal dining hall, where she assumed the seer would be. Hitomi wasn't usually in the habit of sleeping late, but she supposed there was a first time for everything. And anyways, she and Van had stayed up quite late chatting, so she supposed the seer had a reason.

"Hitomi?" Merle asked, getting impatient as she stood waiting there for quite a few seconds. "Hey, lazy butt! Get up already; if I have to wake up early, so do you!" She hissed, her tail puffing up as she stared angrily at the door. It took a few more seconds for the door to open, but in a very hesitant and slow way. When Merle saw Hitomi's face peek out a little bit in the crack, she knew something was wrong. "Hitomi?"

"Good morning, Merle." She greeted, her voice faint and distant as she opened the door a little wider. "Is there something that requires my attention?" The cat-woman was a little surprised as she stepped further into the room, Hitomi already fully dressed and physically ready to tackle the day. However, by the strangely empty look on her face, Merle wasn't sure if the seer was emotionally ready.

"Not really." She answered, crossing her arms as she looked around at the dim room. The curtains had been pulled shut, blocking the passage of light into the room and throwing into a dreary, dark place. "What, did you suddenly decide that living in an evil sorcerer-like room was much more fulfilling?" Merle asked, turning a critical eye to Hitomi, who had walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. She didn't display any emotional response to Merle, simply staring at her with a very blank look on her face.

"I think better in the dark." She said, her voice flat. Merle still wasn't convinced, and her eyebrows furrowed as she crept silently to the door, pushing it shut until the room was thrown in darkness. There was something definitely wrong with Hitomi, and Merle was going to get to the bottom of it.

"So think about the words you're going to use when you tell me what's wrong with you." The cat-woman said, her voice low as she neared Hitomi. As a cat-human, her eyes were very adept at seeing in the dark, and she could catch Hitomi's body reacting to the question in the form of a faint twitch. "Hitomi…" Merle's voice took on an edge of warning, her tail flicking side-by-side in an impatient way.

"I saw them together." Hitomi said softly, the words echoing through the room as Merle's entire aura seemed to freeze in ice. This was the thing that she had dreaded for so long, which she had hoped and hoped would be revealed differently but had been exposed in the worst possible way. Now there would be major misunderstandings, and possibly devastating quarrels. She had to straighten things out before they got out of hand.

"Hitomi—"

"They looked beautiful, like two fish in perfect synchronization, swimming around the other. A king and his queen. A man and a woman. Two halves of a whole. That's what they looked like." She remained incredibly still on the bed, almost like a life-sized doll that needed manual adjustment to find a new position. "But I'm sure that it's not possible to achieve that kind of harmony just by taking a crack at it the first time, right Merle?" The cat-woman couldn't answer; all she could do was stand with her sharp nails digging into her palms and hope for the best, because it didn't seem like the seer would be listening to anything anytime soon.

Hitomi stood, her black dress moving gravely around her legs as she walked towards the heavy curtains. It looked like a mourning dress to Merle, but Hitomi wondered what there was to mourn. An unrequited love?

"What are you going to do now?" Merle asked, her head dropped so her eyes could gaze at the darkness below her. '_Are you going back to the Mystic Moon?_' That was the question she really wanted to ask, but was afraid to find the answer to. Hitomi didn't answer her though, opting instead to push the curtains back and let the sun's light finally shine into the bedroom, highlighting the tear tracks on her pillow and the rumpled sheets of her bed.

Hitomi moved across the expanse of her large guest room, passing Merle without a glance as she reached for the handle of the door. "Shall we get breakfast?" She asked, her voice suddenly bright and cheery like the old Hitomi was back again. But Merle knew better, seeing the emptiness that was evident in her eyes; the anguish that lie beyond her mask and the ice in her heart that was never going to melt. "Will Van be there?" She asked nonchalantly, her eyes flashing with pain for only a split second when his name was mentioned. Merle grimaced.

"He neglected all his duties yesterday to spend time with you. He'll be busy all day, catching up on his work." She admitted honestly, staying in her spot in the room even as Hitomi opened the door and began to step outside with that cheery (_fake_) smile still on her face.

"Oh, that's too bad." She said, her voice not sounding the least bit disappointed. It almost sounded relieved to Merle's sensitive ears. Hitomi shrugged, her black skirts whisking around the door as she began to head to the dining room, calling after Merle with a question that had the cat-woman's heart thumping in anxiety.

"Hey, Merle. Do you think I'd look good with long hair?"

...

...

...

She never ended up growing her hair. It was still boy-short, lengthening maybe a few inches since she first came back to Gaea. Attempting to grow it as long as Ophelia had it would be like spending _years _in Fanelia, but she didn't think she'd last that long without trying to do something to save her broken, icy heart. So she left it as it was, figuring the darkness was more than enough cover to hide her obvious lack of luxurious long locks.

Hitomi took a deep, shaky breath as she sat primly on the edge of her bed, listening to the silent sounds of the night. The soft movements of her short hair as they brushed against her ears; the whisper of her skirts as they flowed delicately around her ankles. The curtains were drawn open, letting in the soft glow of the moonlight that played happily on her pale skin.

She would do this. Just once, Hitomi would allow herself to take this one selfish action and lock it away in her heart forever. She would carry it to her grave and beyond, never allowing herself another greedy deed to appease her broken heart. She would cherish this one moment and savour every second of it as much as she possibly could. Her mind was made up and her decision was written in stone.

She was ready.

Hitomi took one final breath, expelling it through her nostrils before she rose swiftly from her bed. The cloth draping over her body was an amaranth pink, soft to the touch and very light and breezy. It was one of her favourite nightdresses because it was the colour of her grandmother's pendant, but more so because it reminded her of the feeling of Van's soft feathers fluttering over her skin. Barely there, but noticeable because of the tingling sensation it left behind.

Turning to the door that separated the king's room and the queen's room, Hitomi took a small step towards it, chanting in her head that she was going to do this. The apprehension bubbling inside her body only intensified with every step that took her closer to the door. She began to hesitate more, her body almost ready to turn back with each step before her mind chanted louder in her head, forcing her feet forward. It was an agonizing, almost physically painful process but she finally laid her heated hand against the cool metal of the door handle and pulled.

It swung open with relative ease and no creaks of protest, which made the thrumming in her chest beat faster. Unlike her own room, where she preferred to keep the curtains closed to block the light of the moon, Van's curtains were wide open. The soft light shone into the space, slightly nerve-wracking because of all the shadows that flickered and danced. In the middle of it all (and most likely the person causing all the moving shadows) was Van, his body twisting and turning in his sleep.

Hitomi took another step forward, her eyes drawn to him because she was entranced. He slept with his customary red shirt, and Hitomi could see the shimmer of sweat playing over the exposed skin with the help of the dim light from the moon. He seemed almost in pain, his breathing laboured as he tangled himself in his blankets. It was only until Hitomi took a few more steps closer, enough to be standing by his bedside, did Van wake with a guttural shout, jolting upwards with dilated eyes. It scared her slightly, making her jump.

Van turned to her, and Hitomi was glad she had decided to stand with her back to the light, therefore shadowing her face quite well. The king of Fanelia stared at her for quite a while, until Hitomi's apprehension grew so much that she slowly leaned down and lay a cool hand on his unnaturally warm chest. It was slick with sweat, but she didn't care about that just as she didn't register the feeling of something long and thin pressing against her palm.

All Hitomi could do was look into Van's crimson eyes that glowed with a strange intensity at her, and that seemed to be clouded in an emotion she was unable to identify (or was too afraid to identify?). She tried to ignore it, her eyelids growing heavier as she leaned closer and closer to his mouth. He remained perfectly still underneath her, but that was because Hitomi couldn't see the trembling of his fists as they gripped at his bed sheets.

Van's mouth was only a brush away, and Hitomi couldn't help his name escaping her lips dulcetly before she finally made contact, treasuring the warm sensation that spread through her entire body.

"Van…"

It quickly froze over, however, when the warm feeling tried to reach her icy heart. Van had come to life after the simple sound of his name falling from her lips, and the almost nonexistent sweep of her lips against his. One of his hands uncurled, reaching up to lie on her corresponding shoulder and push her away. She was sent sprawling to the floor, the hand on his chest clenching into a fist as she flew backwards.

"No!" Van shouted when he realized what she had done. "Hitomi, I can't… I can't…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say next. But Hitomi didn't care what he had to say to her, because his touch said everything. The moment his hand laid on her shoulder, Hitomi knew it was rejection. But she didn't want to believe it; _still_ didn't believe it.

"Why not, Van?" She asked, not bothering to get up from where she sat eerily calm on the floor. "I want this." Her eyes were trained on the floor below her so she couldn't see his face, but she could definitely hear the strangled gasp that emerged from his throat. Was the idea of _being_ with her so horrible? Hitomi wanted to weep in sorrow and heartbreak at the thought, but she found her tear ducts surprisingly dry. Her hands were still clenched on the floor, supporting her (albeit with shaking arms).

"I can't make you do this… I haven't even—" he cut himself off, cursing under his breath. "Just… Hitomi, I want you to get Ophelia." She stiffened, her nails beginning to break through her skin. "I need you to go, right now!" His voice was becoming urgent, quivering with a frightening intensity as his eyes squeezed shut. "_Now_!"

"I don't want to leave!" Hitomi screamed, standing up with a flourish as a red flush dotted her cheeks. "Whatever Ophelia can do, I can do!" She argued, an angry red flashing across her sight. But Van wasn't in the mood to quarrel with her, and especially not in his current state of mind and her current state of dress. It was torture for him to hold back, but miraculously, he did.

"_GET OUT_!" He roared, his eyes popping open and displaying the terrifying flames that raged in his crimson eyes. "_I DON'T WANT YOU HERE_!!"

The door opened then, and Ophelia stepped through the room with wary eyes.

"Lord Van? I heard shouting." She said, before spying Hitomi's shell-shocked face standing directly in front of the wall-length windows. The moon was raised high in the sky, and high above Htiomi's head, shining soft light on her. Even with half of her face in the shadows, it wasn't hard to see her parted mouth and the clenched fists of her hands. "Lady Hitomi?" Ophelia questioned, stepping further into the room.

"Then I'll leave." Hitomi said with a voice so soft it was almost silent. No one expected the pillar of light to drop on her, shining so bright it was almost blinding. And for what seemed like eternity, but was only a few quick seconds, Hitomi's vision doubled. In her mind's eye, she saw a dream that she had forgotten having not too long ago, and the reality of that vision now.

_The _wind_ was _whipping_ her _hair_ around_, her _short _sandy_ locks _slapping_ her _cheeks_ almost _in_ defiance. _She_ felt _light-weighted_, hovering _in_ the _air_ as _her_ clothes _billowed _around _her_. Her _arm_ was _stretched_ out, _tense_ like _a _board. _Every _muscle _in _her _body_ was _stiff_, straining _to_ reach _for_ the _figure _below _her_ who _she_ knew _now_ was _Van_. From _what_ she _could_ gather _from_ her _limited_ vision, _Van's_ arm _was_ also _outstretched_ and _his_ fingers _inches_ from _her_ own. _

There_ was _something_ on _her_ face, _and_ without _touching_ it _she_ was _able_ to _recognize_ them _as_ liquid _tears_ splashing _onto_ her _cheeks_. With _a_ newfound _awareness_, Hitomi _discovered_ that _they_ did _not_ spill _from_ her _own_ eyes, _but_ from _Van_ standing _below_ her. _The_ liquid _seemed_ to _evaporate_ into _thin_ air, _carried_ away _to_ disappear _into_ the _distance_, just _like_ she _was_ doing. _

Below_ her, _Van_ had _stayed_ rooted _in_ one _spot_, a _complete_ contrast _to_ her _ever-fading_ body. _He_ began _to_ come _into_ focus. _She_ could _pick_ out _his_ muscled _figure_, skin _bronzed_ to _show_ years _of_ hardship. _Van_ was _covered_ in _clothes_ of _bright_ red, _beige_, and _brown_. His _obsidian_ hair _was_ wild, _untameable_ and _if_ he _were_ not _looking_ up, _she_ was _certain_ his _crimson_ eyes _would_ be _shadowed_. _

The_ wind _whipped_ faster _around_ her _body_, and _she_ slowly _felt_ her _figure_ rise _higher_ into _the_ air. _The_ tears _that_ were _not_ her _own_ began _to_ blur _her_ vision _again_, and _as_ she _climbed_ upwards _into_ the _clouds_, Van _eventually_ faded _out_ of _her_ sight _completely_ as _she_ travelled _up_ and _out_ of _Gaea.

...

...

...

"No, no, no, this is all wrong!" Yukari exclaimed, shaking the beautiful dress with tight fists as she glared at the seamstress. "I wanted the gem in the middle to be _emerald _green! Better yet, make it peridot! Hitomi's eyes look more like peridot's to me anyways. And emerald green is _so _overused." The young woman commented thoughtfully as the rest of her bridesmaids stood uncertainly behind her.

"Um, Yukari-chan?" One spoke up, clad in her bridesmaid gown. "I don't think Hitomi-chan is going to come." The bride froze in the middle of fiddling with the dress, her eyes shadowed because they were dropped down. It had been months since her best friend had run off a cliff, and a burst of light had blinded her eyes. Hitomi's mother had thought it was the sun in her eyes and wept with grief, but Yukari knew better. She knew where Hitomi had gone, and it wasn't the place in the ground or the sky. She knew it when the search party had claimed they weren't able to find her body, but most of all Yukari knew it in her heart. How?

Hitomi promised to be the Maid of Honour at her wedding. Hitomi never broke her promises.

A bright flash of light had blinded her vision again, and Yukari stumbled back, her hand shielding her eyes. When the bride looked around, she noticed none of the other bridesmaids were affected by it because their backs were turned, and a weird instinct she had in the pit of her stomach rose up. Looking up, Yukari was struck speechless as she held the Maid of Honour dress limply in her manicured hands.

"Hitomi?" She asked breathlessly, unable to believe her eyes. The other woman was standing there in the most beautiful dress, her hands clutched together at her chest as she stared wide-eyed into nothing. Yukari threw the dress aside, rushing forward to grab Hitomi's shoulders in an attempt to get her to focus. By now, all of the other women had noticed her presence, gasps resonating through the room. "How did she get here?" was the question flittering through all their heads.

"He didn't smile at me…" She said to herself. Regardless of whom it was directed to, though, everyone in the room heard it. They were all confused, and many of the girls wanted to gather together and speculate (gossip) about what Hitomi had meant by that. But everyone seemed to realize that she wasn't done speaking, and waited with bated breath for her next words. "Not like last time… never again like last time."

Yukari didn't know what to do as Hitomi crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly as the ice in her heart finally melted, spilling up and over her peridot green eyes. Clenched in her shaking hands was the gold chain of her grandmother's necklace, the pendant shining its beautiful carmine pink through the room. It swayed to the rhythm of Hitomi's weeping; glowing faintly as if losing its connection to the planet called Gaea.

_

* * *

A/N _AAnnd the next chapter is out!! Yesss!!! You can expect chapter 7 to come out next week, and chapter eight to come out the week after that (it includes the epilogue). Look forward to it please! And don't worry, all shall be explained in the next chapter. So wait it out until then!

Remember to read and review! If I get enough reviews, I might just post the next chapter earlier. (Wink wink)

Snowflake Flower


	7. Verse 7: Together

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 7: Together**

...

...

...

_I just know that we'll see each other someday._

_If we're together,_

_Even if we're far apart, we can gaze in each other's eyes_

_Let's bet everything on all our hopes and dreams._

...

...

...

The room was dark, blinds pulled shut and the lights flicked off. The door had been closed firmly, only a sliver of light passing through the crevice at the bottom of the frame. An unopened duffle bag lay on the floor beside a wooden desk and a blue office chair. Both were quite worn from use, little ink marks scribbled over the surface of the desk and loose threads coming out from the cushions of the chair. The second drawer of the writing desk was locked shut, and there was no sign of the key to it anywhere.

Perched on the bed with rumpled sheets strewn all over the place was a young woman, huddled at the headboard with her knees drawn up to her chest. Crumpled in dishevelled heaps at the foot of her bed was a beautiful pink dress; but in the darkness it was nothing more than another reminder of what could have been. And gleaming with a faint shine on top of that pink dress, almost blending in with the colours if not for the sparkling gold chain attached to it, was the Atlantean pendant that once belonged to Kanzaki Yuri, Hitomi's grandmother.

Hitomi herself was staring at it with her haunted green eyes, almost wishing the two items to burst into flames. Maybe then there would be something to distract her from the thoughts that circled through her head; the memories that played in a loop, over and over and over again as if there was no 'stop' button. As if there was no end to her misery.

_Van reaching out and grasping her hand in his…_

_"You look… beautiful, Hitomi."_

_Van smiling down at her, his obsidian hair tousled around his face…_

_"I don't want you to leave, Hitomi."_

_Her head leaning comfortably on Van's shoulder…_

"_That room is, well, the Fanelian Queen's bedroom."_

_Van's hips thrusting forward into that special place between Ophelia's legs…_

"_Van loves __**you**__…"_

_The sun's light shining into her bedroom, highlighting the tear tracks on her pillow…_

_"Hey, Merle. Do you think I'd look good with long hair?"_

_Van, his body twisting and turning in his sleep…_

_"__GET OUT!"_

Hitomi's eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp, her head jolting upwards to stare at the bare wall across from her. Her breaths had quickened, but she lulled it into a steadier rhythm, trying to calm the fluttering in her chest. She kept her eyes stubbornly away from the two objects at the foot of her bed, pretending that her wall was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen before. But it wasn't. And soon enough that loop in her head began to play all over again.

So engrossed in the memories that never seemed to stop attacking her, Hitomi didn't hear her younger brother, Mamoru, knocking on the door hesitantly. When she didn't open it for him, he became worried and opened it himself, peeking his head into the darkness. The bits of light flooding into the room caught Hitomi's attention, and she turned her head to see Mamoru looking around nervously, obviously unable to see her.

"What is it, Mamoru?" Hitomi asked, her voice soft as she spoke to him but undeniably void of emotion. The younger Kanzaki suppressed his shudder, clearing his throat and trying to sound like the normal, annoying younger brother Hitomi was used to having.

"Dinner's ready." He told her, utterly failing at his attempt of normalcy. Instead, he sounded careful, like he was treading on dangerous ground and a single word could break her into little pieces that scattered in the wind. Although, that wasn't to say his assumption was all that unfounded.

"I'll be down in a minute." Hitomi told him, her voice still soft and empty. Mamoru nodded once, his eyes shifting around the room in speculation before he closed the door quietly behind him. It was definitely a change from the usual way he left Hitomi's room; by slamming the door in a huff and screaming at his parents about hating his sister. But this wasn't a usual thing, and Hitomi wasn't acting like her usual self.

So Mamoru walked silently down the stairs, an unsettled feeling in his heart blooming like the petals of a peony.

...

...

...

"I could've sworn you weren't this skinny…" Yukari mumbled as the seamstress tried to figure out where to take in all the places of Hitomi's Maid of Honour dress. Hitomi herself was standing on the pedestal elevating her from the rest of the floor, her arms outstretched as the seamstress bustled around her. It was painfully nostalgic; having stood in the exact same position for hours while Fanelian seamstresses took measurements and had her try on hundreds of dresses.

The woman working underneath Hitomi clucked her tongue, glaring at the dress with a withering gaze. She let go of the bundles of excess fabric gathered in her hands, throwing them up with a frustrated "ugh!"

"This is impossible! I'm going to have to start from scratch." She groaned, shooing Hitomi away to take off the gown. Yukari blinked in surprise, watching her best friend walk to the dressing room and seeing how one shoulder of the dress had hung halfway down her arm. The exposed skin that Yukari could see was pale and almost bone-skinny, drawing all sorts of disturbed thoughts to her head.

"Okay, Hitomi." Yukari said when her best friend emerged from the dressing room in her normal clothes, "We're going to go out to lunch together. How does Italian sound?" Hitomi shrugged, clearly not at all concerned about what she ate. Yukari's cause for concern only rose, her eyes softening as she took her best friend by the hand and dragged her to her car. (Amano had taught her how to drive, and she passed her driver's test with flying colours!)

They got into the car, Hitomi sitting in the passenger seat and staring listlessly out the window. Yukari sneaked a glance at her, perturbed by her rather blank expression. After her sudden reappearance in the women's dressing room, Hitomi had gone straight home and locked herself in her room for an entire day. When her mother had tried to question her, she didn't respond at all, probably because she could hear nothing except her own thoughts.

Yukari had not asked Hitomi about where she had been for the past couple weeks, figuring if given enough time her best friend would come out about it on her own. But that apparently didn't seem the case, because she remained as tight-lipped as she was four years ago.

"We're here." Yukari announced uselessly as she drove her car into the parking slot, turning the engine off to face Hitomi. She was still staring away into nothing, only unbuckling herself when Yukari had spoke up. It was like she was running on autopilot, an empty shell whose soul had disappeared a long time ago. "Hitomi." Yukari spoke up, halting her friend's movements. Hitomi didn't look at her, but her hand paused on the door handle. "Hitomi… what's going on with you?"

"What makes you think something's going on?" The seer replied, almost too quickly, like she was trying to dispel some absurd notion. Yukari's eyes narrowed, and the blood in her veins began to thrum with anger. Wasn't she Hitomi's best friend? Weren't they supposed to tell each other everything? Or did Hitomi have some cracked up idea that she wasn't trustworthy enough to tell? Yukari slammed her palm against the wheel, only getting angrier when it didn't seem to draw a reaction from Hitomi.

"Don't lie to me!" The bride-to-be shouted, her eyes narrowing. "After everything we've been through together—"

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!!" Hitomi suddenly screamed, whipping her head around, her green eyes wild with rage. Yukari was taken back, her body physically inching backwards. For a second, she didn't recognize her friend Kanzaki Hitomi in front of her sitting in the passenger seat. Yukari saw a stranger who had experienced horrible, horrible things that were beginning to eat her from the inside out.

"Then tell me." She said, her voice soft but urging as she leaned forward to stare Hitomi right in the eyes. In them, she could see the dark emotions whirling like rapid tempests and she knew that she was the only one who would be able to calm them. The bride-to-be didn't even have to think about how to do it; it was just something best friends knew.

"Why aren't you happy, Hitomi?"

It was like Yukari had opened the lock on Hitomi's heart with her words, causing the seer to surrender to her grief once more, unable to stop herself from seeking comfort in Yukari's arms.

...

...

...

On any other day, Hitomi would've come home gushing about the exquisiteness of the Italian food she had just consumed and remark to Yukari about how they _had_ to go there again, but this was definitely not just any other day. Instead of walking into the restaurant and having a nice meal, Yukari had ordered out from the restaurant and driven the two of them back to the Kanzaki residence. As of this moment, the bride-to-be was busy putting the food on trays in the kitchen downstairs so the two of them could reconvene in Hitomi's bedroom and the seer could finally tell her story.

Sighing as she stepped in, Hitomi took off her jacket and draped it on one of the hooks nailed into the wall, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. She was emotionally drained at this point, having cried for so long her throat began to hurt. The young woman really didn't want to relive all those memories gathered in the past year, but she found no choice when there was that determined glint in Yukari's eyes.

Collapsing on her bed, Hitomi blinked a little when the back of her hand came into contact with something cold and hard. She turned her head to look, visibly wincing when it locked upon the gleaming carmine pink pendant amidst the folds of her amaranth pink dress. She didn't wince because of the slight sting in her hand when it hit the chain, but rather the sight of the two things still brought sharp pain shooting across her chest, like an arrow that broke hearts instead of filling them with love.

Getting up quickly, Hitomi grabbed the two items still lying at the foot of her bed and shoved one deep into her closet, hoping that it was so deep she wouldn't be able to find it like she wasn't able to find her earth clothes on Gaea. The other, she turned to bury into one of the drawers of her desk, hoping that it would disappear under the mess of things she kept there.

But she stopped after she turned to head towards the desk, her green eyes widening in disbelief at the small, golden key sparkling innocently in the light. It beckoned to her, shoving past all of her defences as it twinkled in temptation. For if Hitomi used that key, she would have access to her tarot cards. And if Hitomi had access to her tarot cards, she had access to the future.

To Van's future. To hers. To Ophelia's.

The key slid in effortlessly, and with a twist of her wrist it clicked soundly. Her hands were unsteady as she slid the drawer open, her eyes coming to rest on the stack of cards inside the drawer. They were the only things in there, covered with a piece of cloth as a sort of protection. But they didn't seem to need it, looking the same as they did four years ago when she first locked them up.

Reverently, Hitomi reached inside to touch them with her fingertips, sighing nostalgically as she felt power return to her dull limbs. She was in control now. Anything and everything she'd ever want to know were in these cards, and all she had to do was begin the ritual that had become instinctual to her.

Shuffle the deck. Cut the cards, and then shuffle again. After that, place the cards in their specified order. One in the middle, one across the middle card, one on top, another on the bottom, one on each side, and then the final four along the right side.

Usually, Hitomi wouldn't bother placing them all out at the same time. She would go through them one-by-one, placing them in their predestined spots only after she had revealed their significance. But there was still that little part of her that said this was wrong. That she was only cheating her life, not making it better or more informed.

But right now, she wondered: did she care?

"Hitomi! I brought the food." Yukari said cheerily, bursting into the room with two trays filled with Italian food. Hitomi had ordered spaghetti, and Yukari went with the classic lasagna. They both decided on a garlic bread appetizer, and made sure to buy a few mints at the store beforehand. "Hitomi? What are you doing?" She asked, spying the cards lying on the table. Hitomi jolted and looked at her, panic rampant in her eyes. Her hands were curled up at her chest, quivering in fear… or guilt?

"You're doing a reading?" Yukari asked, stepping closer, before her eyes sparkled in excitement. "Oh, oh, oh, do a reading on mine and Amano's future? How many kids are we going to have? Are we gonna be rich? Ooh, I hope so. I'd love to travel to Europe." She babbled on, not noticing Hitomi's expression of disbelief turn to one of stone-hard determination.

"No." She said, her voice loud and clear over Yukari's. The bride-to-be blinked in surprise.

"No?" She asked, setting the trays down on what room was left on the desk. "But why not? You're doing a reading for yourself, right?" Hitomi glanced over to the cards on her desk, before she gathered them all together without flipping any of them face-forward.

"No, I'm not." The seer replied, putting the cards back in the pile and then re-shuffling them again. "I was just… nostalgic. That's all." And with that, Hitomi put them back into the drawer, closing it before locking it shut again. She stared at the key for a few long moments, before walking to the garbage can in her room and throwing it in.

"Hitomi…" Yukari mumbled, watching her do these things with a worried eye. Hitomi just turned to smile at her, grabbing her tray and sitting on her bed with a sheepish smile. Yukari grabbed her own food, settling on the desk chair and she watched Hitomi with careful eyes. The seer paid her no heed, digging into her Italian food with gusto. She noticed she was a little on the thin side before she looked up to her best friend with a vibrant smile.

"So, where do you want me to start?"

...

...

...

Merle awoke with a jolt, her lilac eyes sharpening into two pin points, focussing on the wall that divided her room from her foster brother's. To any of the normal humans, they would've continued to sleep blissfully for there was no such noise in the room that would scare them into consciousness. But Merle was a cat-human, and her sensitive ears picked up the guttural cry from the other side of the wall.

Normally, Merle wouldn't have given it another thought. This was a normal occurrence in the middle of the night. But since the recent happenings, the woman couldn't help but be tempted to make sure her lord was all right. And she did so, grabbing her robe and throwing it around her as she stealthily made her way out of her own room and into Van's.

When she entered, it was as all the other nights. The curtains were drawn, displaying the full view of the Mystic Moon. No matter how many times she had closed those curtains, Van would always throw them back open again. He didn't seem to care for the pain that wracked his body by the effect of the two moons; he only cared to see the home of his beloved Hitomi.

Sneaking forward, Merle came closer to Van writhing in agony on his bed, his hands fisted in the sheets, uncurling several times and showing Merle the veins bulging out of his skin. She could see the bones attached to his knuckles bursting up, and her eyes followed them to his straining arms. From there, Merle searched his face, his teeth clenching in pain and his eyes squeezed shut. As all the nights before, Merle didn't even have to look closely to see the sheen of sweat glimmering on his bronzed skin.

"Merle…" He whispered quietly, his head turning as he squinted to see her in the darkness. She couldn't help the silent tears that dripped down her face as she stepped forward, reaching out to enclose his hand in hers. The torturing spasms wracking his body had finally calmed to a few quivers as Van lay panting in exertion on the bed. His eyes were lidded, the crimson colour glazed over.

"Everything will be all right, Van-sama." Merle said, helping him to sit up so she could get him some water. He didn't seem to hear her, his body arching in one more excruciating tremor as his ivory wings burst from his back, feathers drifting all around Merle as she watched him bend over, breathing harshly.

"Everything will work out. I know it will." She said softly, under her breath. Her hands were trembling as she hugged him, trying not to look down at his shoulder blades where the feathers were stained black.

...

...

...

It was definitely a nostalgic feeling that welled up inside of her as she entered the track field. Hitomi heard the familiar crunching of the dirt under her shoes as she walked through to the bleachers, smiling at the place where she confessed to her first crush, and met the love of her life. Of all the places for it to happen, it had to be something as mundane as a track field in a high school.

Sighing softly, Hitomi settled onto the lowest bleacher, staring out to the rest of the city as she bathed in the warmth of this place she loved. Yukari was back at her house, helping her mother make dinner. Hitomi had tried to help, but she was never much of a cooking person. Her mother kicked her out with flaming eyes, pushing her out the door and remarking she needed some fresh air, and that she should maybe visit her old school again or something.

So Hitomi did. And there was a part of her that hated it here, but at the same time couldn't help but love it. Because this one place was the accumulation of everything that's ever happened to her; the one thing she wished would be preserved for generations to come, if not forever. At least here, she could think of those happy memories of the time she was fifteen, instead of the painful ones of the present.

Her thigh twitched, and Hitomi smiled as she let her peridot eyes run along the track. It had been a while since she was allowed to really let herself go, and there was no one here to stop her. Hitomi longed to feel the wind on her face and the burn of her thighs as she pushed herself to the limit, like she had done so many times before. In Gaea, so many people were looking out for her and making sure she didn't do anything like that, but she wasn't on Gaea anymore.

Strange how the thought of it sent pangs of longing in her heart.

Ignoring it, Hitomi stood and walked over to the beginning of the track. She crouched down, smiling widely to herself in anticipation of the run. It felt like she was in high school again, competing in some competition. She could almost hear the encouraging cheers from the sidelines, and feeling the cool wind blowing through her airy clothes. At the same time she could feel the hot sun beating on her back, and the referee readying himself with a toy gun.

Closing her eyes for a short moment, Hitomi allowed herself to hear the bang of the gun as it was fired, and her lids popped open as she pushed off, the wind hitting her face with the most memorable feeling. She couldn't help but laugh a little as her legs pushed forward, peridot eyes bright with excitement.

They soon turned into ones of shock as a blue pillar shot down from the sky, and she collided with the figure that landed on Earth.

Hitomi flew backwards, landing on her backside and groaning as she sat up, rubbing her head. For a second, she wondered what had hit her so hard until the foreboding nostalgia wound up inside of her, and her eyes shot open to stare at the person standing where the pillar of light once existed. The person she never wanted to see again.

"Ophelia?"

The Gaean smiled that soft, delicate smile of hers as she stood there, her hands clasped in front of her and her voluminous skirts swaying gently in the breeze.

"Hello, Lady Hitomi."

Hitomi didn't know what to say, until the first logical question popped into her head. "How did you—" get here, she wanted to say, but she was interrupted when Yukari called her name, running into the track field with a smile on her face.

"Hitomi! Dinner's ready!" She exclaimed, before stopping behind her best friend as she spotted Ophelia, her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline as she noticed the Hitomi clone standing across from the original Hitomi.

Ophelia smiled kindly, bowing even though she could not understand anything Yukari was saying. Hitomi stood still between the two of them, still staring at her doppelganger as the questions raced through her head. What was she doing here? How did she _get_ here? And why not Van? Why did she have to come instead of Van? Van was _always_ the one who came to Earth to reunite with her again. What made this… this _replica_ of hers so important that she could also travel between the two worlds?

Sadly, Hitomi didn't have the answer to any of those questions, and could not help the shock flittering across her face as Yukari whispered at her to invite Ophelia for dinner.

"We might as well discuss this in a private place." She reasoned, grabbing Hitomi's hand to tug her back to the house. Hitomi had no choice but to follow, waving Ophelia along. The stewardess followed after a few seconds, her steps slow and unsure because she swayed this way and that as she walked.

...

...

...

The maid screamed shortly, stumbling on her feet as she backed away from the fierce glare in Van's crimson eyes. He looked like an untameable beast in the moonlight, his muscles rippling with passionate fury as he blocked her access to the wardrobe in the queen's room. Her body shivered in fear as he barked at her.

"GET OUT!" She did as he told her to with relief in her heart, running out of the room. Van watched her go, his eyes tracking her movements and the sound of the door slamming shut as her skirts disappeared around the corner. Once he was satisfied she wasn't coming back, and that no one was going to bother him anymore, he turned to throw the doors of the wardrobe open and peer inside.

Row after row of large, beautiful dresses greeted his eyes. But he had no interest in any of them, grabbing and throwing them behind him, not caring that it would wrinkle or dirty on the floor. His sight was searching for something other than the Fanelian gowns, and it was only until the wardrobe was almost empty that he found it.

Lying all folded and nice and neat at the back of the wardrobe were the clothes that Hitomi had worn when she came back to Gaea.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Van snatched them up and held them to his nose, breathing deeply. The scent of the seer was heavier on these clothes than any of the things in her duffle bag. For Van, it was like heaven. It was like she was still here with him, his nose buried in her hair rather than some fabric that clung to her aroma. It was definitely a derogatory sight, the Fanelian King kneeling on the floor and smelling clothes worn by his true love. But what else could he do?

...

...

...

The staring was getting a little out of hand, for sure, Hitomi thought as she shoved a clump of rice into her mouth. Ophelia sat through it all with a tranquility in her aura, wielding the chopsticks with ease and politely eating a minimal amount of food. Beside Hitomi was Yukari, who was trying not to stare but failing miserably. Hitomi's mother snuck glances up at the woman, but always averted her eyes quickly when she realized she had. But Mamoru and Hitomi's father were staring at her unabashedly, their gazes swiping back and forth between the Gaean and the Earthling.

Once dinner was finished, Hitomi cleared her throat and looked pointedly at everyone in the room except for Ophelia. "If you don't mind, I want to talk to my guest _alone_." The stone-cold look in her peridot eyes was enough for all of them to get up, clearing away the dishes and shuffling off to the kitchen or the living room. Thus, that left Hitomi and her doppelganger sitting across from each other at the dining table, Ophelia still as peaceful as she always.

"I used Lord Van's drag energist." Ophelia said suddenly, answering Hitomi's interrupted question as she pulled out the carmine pink sphere from a hidden pocket in the large folds of her skirt. Hitomi stared at it before nodding and allowing the stewardess to hide it away again. They sat in silence for a while, Ophelia waiting for the barrage of questions Hitomi was sure to fire at her. And she was not disappointed.

"Why are you here? What do you want from me?" She asked, her voice quivering in anger as she tried to quell it. Ophelia gave her a sympathetic smile, her dainty hands folded perfectly in her lap. Hitomi hated that smile of hers, hated that she seemed to pity her double as if she knew everything there was to know about Hitomi Kanzaki.

"I've come to ask you to come back to Gaea." She said, anticipating the loud gasp spilling from Hitomi's mouth and the waves of confusion that rolled off of her, tinged with bitterness and suspicion. "Lord Van _needs_ you, Lady Hitomi. Only you can be the next Fanelian Queen; it is imperative that you return to Gaea." Those waves of confusion were quickly replaced with shocks of fury that sparked in the air. Hitomi's fists were clenched tightly under the table, quivering.

"You're exaggerating, Ophelia. Van doesn't need me. He's perfectly fine without my presence on Gaea; in fact, he's probably _better off_ without me!" Hitomi replied, starting off in a relatively calm voice at first, but ending it with a raised voice. "And anyways, he already has _you_. Why on earth would he need _me_?" These phrases were said with a biting remark at both herself and her clone sitting across from her.

Ophelia seemed to be catch on fast, as her eyes widened when she realized what Hitomi was speaking of. She was also quick to respond, answering back with, "This is a misunderstanding, Lady Hitomi. I assure you that _you_ are the one Lord Van needs, not me. Look into the ancient Atlantean pendant, and you will know of what I speak." Hitomi was unnerved by the Ophelia's blank stare, not wanting to get up and fetch her pendant but seeing that the conversation was going nowhere if she didn't.

Slowly, Hitomi got up and walked up the stairs to her room. She opened the door, not bothering to shut it as she stepped inside and made a beeline for her pendant sitting on her desk. The chain was cold around her fingers, but she didn't mind the temperature as she dangled the pendant in one of her hands, closing her eyes.

...

_"Hitomi!!" Van cried out hoarsely in utter anguish, his back arching against his bed in an unnatural way. He twisted and turned on the bed, sweating bullets as he grasped futilely at the linens below him. His shirt was off, so Hitomi could see the veins that bulged through his skin, almost seeming like they would break through._

_And then a sudden light filled the room, dying away quickly to reveal Van's white wings glowing in the darkness. But Hitomi could feel nothing but the ice in her bones as she caught sight of the tinge of black that littered his shoulder blades._

...

Pulling out of the vision with a desperate gasp, Hitomi fell onto the floor, shaking. Her breathing was hysterical as she tried to calm herself, not noticing Ophelia entering the room with a sorrowful step. The stewardess didn't even have to explain anything as Hitomi turned her head to her double, peridot eyes penetrating Ophelia's jade ones.

"Van is… dying?"

Her silence was all that was needed, and Hitomi could feel the panic that coursed through her veins like quick fire, baiting her body to lunge forward and ensnare Ophelia's collar in her veined fist. And she did so, allowing only the most furious desperation of her emotions to guide her.

"How?! _Why?!_" She sobbed, the tears spilling uninhibited down her pale cheeks as she looked into a reflection of her own face staring back at her with thinned lips. Ophelia reached up to disentangle Hitomi's fingers from her dress, her hands icy cold. There was a misery in her eyes that almost seemed like she could _feel_ Van's pain trickling in her body.

"It is… a long story, Lady Hitomi." She whispered softly, her words drifting lazily in the room like a breeze in the skies. But Hitomi didn't seem to care, her hands clutching the pendant close to her chest in a useless effort to appease the fright that resonated in her very soul. She had seen the black wings of a draconian once, and she never wanted to see them again.

"_What's happening to him?!_" Hitomi shrieked, Folken flashing in her minds eye as she pierced Ophelia's gaze with a frantic, terrified stare of her own. She could see the sky blue locks of hair changing to obsidian black, his face rounding out from its sharper angles, the purple mark on his face fading away to reveal tanner, more bronzed skin. But even through it all, the crimson of his eyes remained unchanged, staring unfalteringly at her through her thoughts, the black of his feathers glittering with an inevitable end.

"I don't know what to call it." Ophelia admitted quietly, her hands clasped together in front of her skirts as she stared at Hitomi's trembling form. If the seer looked up, she would've seen a strange darkness in Ophelia's jade eyes as she pushed Hitomi back to sit on her bed. "But I can assure you, it is something very terrible." The seer didn't know if she was brave enough to face the truth of what Ophelia was about to tell her, but there was no choice anymore. Whether or not Van didn't love her, she could never just let him die.

Never.

Ophelia seemed to sense that, stepping back and starting her long explanation even though Hitomi kept her eyes trained on her lap where her fists tightened unmercifully on each other. And so Ophelia began her story, the delicate lilting in her voice unable to stop all the shocks that reverberated through Hitomi's heart as she listened.

...

_Despite what many people think, Van Slanzar de Fanel is not a hybrid. He is no sort of half-breed, made up of human and draconian blood. The King of Fanelia is as pure-blooded as his mother was, drawing power from the moon and remaining more docile in the day. Twas the capabilities of his kind._

_All beings of this earth have a significant other. One's ying to another's yang. One's light to one's dark. Whether these "soul mates", per say, meet in their lifetime is all up to fate and destiny. The same goes for the draconians._

_But unlike other creatures of Gaea, and the Mystic Moon, the draconians were so advanced that they could seek out their other half and instinctively know it. Or, they could simply have another tell them where they would meet with the person they were destined to be with. Such was the case of Varie, and her Goau._

_Because of this innate ability of locating their true loves, the draconians were scarcely worried about any extinction to their population. Family, money, politics; none of it mattered to them. For with this blessing of love came a curse of untold agony._

_Should the two lovers be separated, they would quickly die._

_As such, social standing and all other things became trivial in existence. They had tried once, long ago, but the near extinction of their species forced them to rethink everything of their culture, and to build anew one that would sustain them for millennia to come. And so, none of the draconian today would ever know of the excruciating pain of being separated from their beloved._

_Until now._

_The draconians were gone. Only Van was left._

_But of course, the draconians escaped to the Mystic Moon, did they not? Is it not safe to say that there are billions of draconian descendants living on Earth? But the humans of Earth have forgotten their past, not remembering any of it even as they passed on to the after world. What draconian can call himself a draconian if he is not able to utilize his abilities in life? No wings, no power; humans were nothing but the consequences of the draconian's actions. _

_And so, the survival of the species rested on the shoulders of Van Slanzar de Fanel. And his instincts would not let him forget it._

_Back in the time when draconian soul mates were separated constantly by politics, money, family, and much, much more, there was a primal part of their minds that awakens. In the event of separation, they become desperate and increasingly overprotective. In the event of extinction, their instincts push them to procreate._

_And the Fanelian King had both._

_What of another? Could the king not take another to be his bride and procreate with her? That would surely solve __**one**__ problem._

_But of course, nothing is ever that simple._

_Should he try to take on another mother for his children, his primal consciousness will not be able to stand the action of submitting to a woman other than his intended. He will be nauseated at even the thought, emptying his stomach if he should ever try. _

_If that is not enough, his primal instincts will throw dreams of longing at him night after night, tempting him to find his lover. The draconian will be plagued with erotic dreams, the body of his mate lying beneath him as if she were real, only to wake and realize there is no one but him._

_It may only be done during the night, however. Draconians reign in the night, the moon giving them more power, but at the same time strengthening their primal minds. It is only in the day that they can be in control of themselves, where they can suppress the carnal instincts running amok in their veins._

_Van's dreams, however, were not every night. They began when he was fifteen, coming once a month. But as the days wore on, they began to increase steadily until they overwhelmed him in his sleep all the time, and he was unable to alleviate the longing of his heart. Every woman he tried to bed would end up with a display of just how revolting he thought they were to him._

_But then Ophelia came. A new member of the city of Fanelia, she was a lowly peasant working as a waitress at a bar when the Lady Merle found her. Merle was the only one who knew of Van's plight, and she was growing more and more concerned and scared for her lord. So when she realized that Ophelia was not Hitomi, and just bore a striking resemblance to her, she had to take the chance._

_The next night, Ophelia was brought to Van bearing the name Hitomi. But Merle's plan was thwarted once Van set his crimson eyes on Ophelia, narrowing them in furious anger. He was quick to note that Ophelia was not Hitomi, even though Merle had a hard enough time believing she wasn't. But such was the ability of the draconians. It would be no other but his beloved._

_Unfortunately, he did not have that choice. The tips of his shoulder blades were beginning to darken, and Merle had forced him to take a chance. The two looked so alike, could he not pretend it was Hitomi? And so Van attempted it, wanting to put his foster sister at ease, and hoping that it would be able to prolong his quickening death._

_It was just to his bitter, bitter shock that the idea worked._

...

And suddenly, it all made sense. The pieces began to click into place, and a dawning settled over Hitomi's now bright peridot eyes.

Van loved _her_.

Van _loved_ her.

_Van_ loved her.

She couldn't help repeating the simple phrase in her head, over and over again, emphasizing different parts to get different feelings. Euphoria, elation, bliss, joy, excitement, delight, _happiness_. The flood of emotions came so fast, rushing in like a tsunami that for a moment she couldn't hear anything except the words she repeated in her head. Ophelia's voice became muddled, almost like she was talking to Hitomi from above the water, and Hitomi was contently staying beneath it.

Until the thought sprang up in her head like the popping of a bubble.

"Why did he refuse?" She asked quietly, Ophelia hearing the hesitation in her voice as she stared blankly at the wall. "I was _ready_ to be with him; why did he push me away?!" Her voice rose now, confusion marring the anger and frustration in her voice. Hitomi turned to Ophelia, her gaze piercing as her clasped hands began to grip so tight they shook.

"For one thing, he was ashamed of his actions and his lack of self-control. He recognized that he was unfaithful to you, but more than that Lord Van did not know you loved him as well. He suspected, but the thought of being wrong had unsettled him. However he also felt he was taking advantage of you for his own selfish reasons. Lord Van was… he was prepared to die for what he believed to be his sins." Ophelia said, her aura still as calm as ever. But if Hitomi were paying attention she would've noticed the dark bags under the stewardess's eyes, the washed out colour of her skin and the bone-like thinness of her arms. But the seer didn't take notice of it, blind to her own emotions and the turmoil that created maelstroms in her heart.

"Unfaithful?" Hitomi exclaimed, incredulous. "Van was only doing what he had to do to stay alive! I could never –_ never_ – blame him for that." Her fists curled into her palms, cutting perfect lines into her skin. "And what the hell is this crap about taking advantage of me?" She asked, the tears already cutting clear tracks into her skin. "I practically _begged_ him! I…" She could not go on, and buried her face into her hands.

Ophelia closed her eyes as she thought of how to phrase her sentence. "Lady Hitomi, you did not know of Lord Van's… _ailment_… until this moment, when I told you. His Highness felt that he was cheating you if you did not know what you were promising him." She said, her head ducked in respect as she allowed Hitomi to mull over her words. In the truth of the matter, Ophelia was simply exhausted and dropped her head to rest it. But Hitomi didn't know that, growing angry over Van's intentions.

"Then he should've told me!" She growled, slamming her fist on the mattress of her bed as she whirled her head to the side, glaring at the wall. "I've loved him for _so long_; how could I just abandon him in his time of need?" Her last words were spoken in a much softer tone, and some of the tension began to leave her body as her shoulders hunched over. Ophelia kneeled down in front of her, bowing her head.

"Please understand, Hitomi. This is not simply about keeping Lord Van alive. He did not want you to stay in Gaea because of an obligation you have to him, or because you knew that he was the other half of your soul." She began, her head lowered but her knees shaking as she tried to maintain that position. "You once expressed the desire to return home, to your family and your friends. He would not want you to stay with him when much of your heart still lies here; on the Mystic Moon."

It was like another tidal wave flooded into her heart, mockingly brushing up against every inch of her body and tauntingly asking her, '_what about Yukari? What about Amano? What about your mother, and your father, and Mamoru?_' But Hitomi didn't know the answer to that. She realized that if she chose Gaea; if she chose Van, then there was no turning back. Hitomi would age faster than all the people of Earth; she would die before her mother and father did.

"So its one or the other?" The young woman asked with a choking sob. Ophelia said nothing to her question, and that was all the answer Hitomi needed.

...

...

...

It was absolutely perfect.

Yukari looked up to Amano sitting beside her, radiant smiles on both of their faces and their hands entwined lovingly. To Hitomi, it was almost a dream as she watched her best friend and her former crush as they sat at the head of the banquet hall. She was graciously put nearest to them, easily able to turn and talk to the two if the desire ever hit her. But she chose to remain silent, merely watching the adoration pouring off in waves. But Yukari had noticed her staring, and smiled brightly. She would normally blush in embarrassment at being caught in such a lovey-dovey position with Amano, but it was her wedding day; she was too happy to feel anything like that.

"Hitomi!" Yukari exclaimed brightly, leaning towards her best friend. Amano paid no attention to their conversation; he simply observed Yukari and the happiness exuding from every pore in her body, leaning forward to wrap an arm around her waist to affirm that she was there; that this was real.

Hitomi smiled as her friend came closer, a teasing grin playing at her lips. "Aren't you supposed to dance with Amano? The bride and groom always start off the dances." She informed her friend matter-of-factly, smiling when Yukari checked the time and gasped when she realized her friend was right. Quickly, Yukari turned to Amano and whispered to him earnestly, tugging him to the floor. Hitomi giggled as she watched them go, her eyes sparkling in mirth when the music began softly, and the two of them began a silent waltz.

It was breathtaking, watching the two whisk across the floor with graceful steps. Even when Yukari had stumbled somewhat, breaking the spell of poise, the two of them still looked absolutely perfect as Amano caught her stumble, holding her close to him. It was in that moment that they simply gazed into each other's eyes, secret smiles spreading over their lips.

Hitomi couldn't help the pang of loneliness stabbing through her heart. And once again, that blasted question popped up in her head.

'_Gaea, or Earth?_'

She still didn't know what to pick, but that was okay because Yukari suddenly called for attention. She was holding the microphone in her hand, standing on the stage with a radiant smile on her lips (that also looked suspiciously devious). Her bridal gown was not at all voluminous like the ones on Gaea. Instead, it was slim and sleek on her form, hugging her hips before shooting straight down to her shoes. The top was sleeveless, showing her bare shoulders (which Amano obviously found irresistible, since he kept winding his arm around her).

"Okay, are all of you bachelorettes ready?" Yukari asked through the microphone, grinning as she waved her bouquet of beautiful red roses in the air. Hitomi's eyes widened when a slew of girls crowded in front of her best friend. They were all screaming excitedly, reaching for the flowers as Yukari held them tauntingly out of reach. She noticed Hitomi still sitting there, and grinned at her. "You too Hitomi!" She exclaimed, and the seer couldn't refuse when Amano walked over to drag her out himself.

Sighing when Amano wedged her directly in the middle of the damn crowd, Hitomi grunted as she put up with the screaming and the shoving. When Yukari turned her back, it only got worse. Hitomi endured it though, watching as the rose bouquet sailed up past her head and landed in the arms of one lucky girl who glowed brightly with happiness. The seer smiled, happy to be able to get out of the crowd. She went back to her seat, sinking back into with a contented sigh.

For a little while, Hitomi just played with the soft fabric of her gown as she stared listlessly into nothing. Yukari had outdone herself with the design, working with the seamstress for hours and hours at a time to come up with the perfect bridal gown _and _the perfect bridesmaids gowns. Her result was the soft, white dress that Hitomi wore now. Normally, only the bride wore white on her wedding day, but Yukari vehemently refused to change the dress.

"Hitomi's my best friend. She deserves nothing less." The bride remarked with finality, and they had no choice but to adhere to her decision.

Hitomi smiled at the memories, reaching up to touch the thin straps of the white gown with carefully strokes. The entire design of the dress was based on "flighty" and "loose", so "restricted" was not a word Hitomi thought of when she wore this dress. It was almost like it wasn't there, and she caught herself reaching up to touch the straps of the dress in reassurance that she was not, in fact, streaking at Yukari and Amano's wedding.

Hitomi snapped out of her thoughts as she saw Amano and Yukari approach, smiling at them and standing up. When they reached her, the two simply looked at each other before nodding once, puzzling the seer until Yukari grabbed Hitomi's hand and Amano dropped a freshly cut red rose in her palm.

"What… is this?" She asked, and Yukari smiled at her in a sad but incredibly assured way, closing Hitomi's fingers around the thorn-less stem and the soft, pink ribbon wound around it.

"You caught it." The bride said, stepping back and letting her new husband wrap an arm around her bare shoulders. "You caught my bouquet."

For a second, Hitomi was utterly confused. But then a slow dawning shadowed her eyes, and she looked down to the rose in her palm. The ribbon was itchy against her skin and the stem was cool, but the petals were soft as they brushed her hands. Hitomi looked back up at Yukari and Amano smiling slightly at her, and Yukari's final word was all she needed to hear before she turned around and ran.

"Go."

...

Ophelia was waiting for her at the track field, Hitomi's pendant dangling in one hand and Van's drag energist in the other. A kind, knowing smile was on her face as she held out the carmine pink pendant, almost in offering. Hitomi took it, letting the familiar chill of the jewellery wrap around her hand.

Was this really what she wanted to do? Was she completely and entirely certain of this choice; this moment? After enduring whirlwinds of emotions and textbooks worth of information, was Gaea really the right answer? Was _Van_ really the right answer?

He loved her, yes, that much was true. But could she take the word of a woman who had been sleeping with him for God knows how long? Could she handle the heartbreak another time if she found out that everything Ophelia said was a lie? That all of her suffering and all of her decisions were for naught? That she had thrown away her family and her closest friends for something that she wasn't entirely sure of?

For a moment, Hitomi's grip on her pendant loosened.

How did she know that she was truly the missing half of Van's incomplete heart? Van may have some weird ability to ascertain his soul mate, but Hitomi had nothing but her intuition to guide her. And her intuition was only accurate with the readings she did with her tarot cards. So was her blind faith enough?

The pendant dropped to hang precariously on Hitomi's fingers, swaying back and forth in that timeless rhythm it always seemed to have.

One…

A flash of something dashed across Hitomi's eyes, and for a split second she saw Van's face smiling up at her.

Two…

There was another flash, this time depicting a white feather floating gently to the ground, glowing magnificently before turning to a murky black.

Three…

A flicker of the memory of Van from ten years ago and the smile on his face as he looked up to her, his arm outstretched. That look in his eyes…

Hitomi blinked, her hand tightening on the falling pendant before she clutched it to her chest, feeling the strange warmth that reverberated from it. It almost seemed to speak to her, reminding her that nothing was ever what it seemed. The voice echoed in her head, saying that nothing was certain, but things would only end well if you worked hard and believed with a faith stronger than your own body. Saying that trusting yourself and trusting the people you love was often more than enough to make everything okay.

Hitomi smiled lightly when she recognized the voice as her own.

"What do you want, Lady Hitomi?" Ophelia asked, the energist in her hand beginning to glow with a vibrant light. Hitomi looked up to the stewardess, almost forgetting she was there and ignoring the glow that burst from her grandmother's pendant, keeping her peridot eyes locked onto Ophelia's jade ones. Just as there was a certainty to Yukari's voice when arguing about her Maid of Honour dress, there was a certainty to Hitomi's voice when she answered Ophelia's question.

"I want to go back to Gaea."

...

...

...

_His breathing was laboured as he hovered over her, muscles taut until she smoothed one of her pale, tiny hands over his skin, making him shiver in excitement. The pink of her lips was begging to be ravished, and how could he deny such a miraculous offering?_

_She arched into him, her fingernails biting into his forearms as he slid into her, breaking the kiss to groan in contentment. She moaned loudly throwing her head back and letting his lips roam over the warm dip of her neck and shoulders, laying heated kisses on her heated skin. _

_As she wrapped her toned legs around his sculpted waist, forcing him to move against her in that age-old dance, Van couldn't help but think to himself that this was going to be one of those unbearable nights. This would be the night he would wake and not be able to go back to sleep, lying in his sweat-soaked sheet and being able to think of nothing but her soft skin against his rough one. But he indulged himself now, in the sanctuary of his dreams as he flicked one of her pert nipples._

_She gasped, arching further into him and too far-gone to bristle when he chuckled at her. He closed his lips around the pink part of her breast, caressing the other with one hand and shoving its twin between their joined bodies to stroke at that hypersensitive part of her. She came undone in a matter of minutes, and he could feel himself begin to follow…_

...

Waking with a gasp that seemed more of a desperate intake of air from staying under the water for times past his limit, Van's crimson eyes gazed unsteadily into his darkened room as his chest heaved with rasped breaths. Though he did not remember most of his dream, he certainly remembered that last bit, and groaned at the ache in his lower regions.

Normally, with an unbearable longing this intense, Van would simply call for Ophelia to relieve his urges. But she had disappeared weeks ago, and no one knew where she was. With her not around, and the moon completely full, he was in quite the dilemma. The sovereign could feel his primal instincts pushing at him, not sure where to focus their attention and so directing it to all parts of his body.

Van shuddered, not sure he was able to do anything but sit on his bed and hope desperately for morning to come quickly. He couldn't stand the ache running all across his body like a boulder had come down and crashed on him. Without another thought, Van let his wings burst free from his back, knowing that it would help somewhat with his plight.

His feathers (the white ones) glowed in the dark as they fluttered around the room, covering it sparsely. But he just never expected to see one of his glowing feathers plucked out of thin air and brought close to a beautiful peridot gem that was fastened to a beautiful dress, which was worn by the most beautiful angel of them all.

Hitomi.

"Hi Van." She said, smiling at him softly. He felt his primal instincts lurch at her, and it was only with his powerful self-control that he was able to stay on the bed. On one hand, he was elated to see her back in Gaea. On the other hand, he just wished she hadn't chosen the most inopportune time to arrive.

"Hitomi, I need you to go back to your room." He said, his words coming out in from his gritted teeth. Hitomi's smile turned melancholy, and she dropped the feather to let it flutter the rest of the way to the floor. Once it had touched the ground, the young woman stepped over her, her dress dragging along the floor as she made her way to Van's beside. "Hitomi, stay back!!" Van shouted, not moving even though his body was shaking much harder now, and his muscles were tensed so much he looked like he was in pain. And in a way, he was.

"What if I don't want to?" She asked him softly, her skirts swishing to a stop as she scooted down, taking a seat on the very edge of the large, king-size bed. Van caught himself moving a few times, willing his body to stop, as his harsh breathing got worse. He jerked away roughly when Hitomi's fingertips grazed his arm, and she frowned.

"Hitomi… Hitomi if you don't leave now, I won't be able to stop myself." He said, forcing the words out and ducking his head to avoid looking at her ethereal presence beside him. She was silent for a long moment, before he felt the mattress move, signalling she had gotten off of it. He was almost ready to sigh a breath of relief, but decided not to take his chances until she was safely locked in her own room.

With his head down, he listened to her skirts shuffling across the floor and waited with bated breath for the door to her room shut. It was just his luck when it didn't, and instead Hitomi appeared before him, clothed in nothing but the white glow of the moon.

"I don't want you to stop yourself." She told him, her body so close he could reach out and touch it. Instead, his crimson eyes widened with shock roamed over the porcelain skin of her figure. He drank in the sight of her, the flushed pink of her skin and the slight trembles of her body as she leaned forward. Her cheeks were flushing, but she seemed to have a quiet determination in her peridot green eyes as she leaned forward, her breath ghosting over his chest.

"Van," she whispered, not touching him but letting her lips hover beside his ear as she spoke the words that would be his ultimate undoing.

"I love you."

...

...

...

It was like the wall of a dam crumbled to dust in mere seconds when Hitomi felt the frightening tension in Van's body fade out in a single moment. His breath whooshed out with one relieved gasp before the iron bands of his arms wrapped around her waist, crushing her to him. Hitomi could feel the hard planes of his chest pressed up against her soft breasts, his skin almost burning in temperature. However uncomfortable it was, though, she could never back away.

"Hitomi…" Van murmured into her hair, his breath ticklish against her sensitive ears. "Hitomi." There was a reverence to his tone as he said her name to himself, the demons that growled in his mind finally at peace. The draconian could hardly believe that such a miracle was happening as he clung to his goddess, waiting with bated breath for his dream to end and shatter all of his hopes. But this wasn't a dream.

"Van?" Hitomi spoke up meekly, gliding her hands with feather-light touches along his back when he stilled. She tried to pull back, but Van tugged her forward again insistently. Struggling a bit, the seer was able to lean back and ascertain what was wrong with her beloved, but he turned his head and buried his face in her neck. It was only then that she felt the wet tears that dripped down his face and onto her collarbone.

"I love you." He said throatily, his lips trailing downward to her chest with only brief kisses. Everywhere Van touched it felt like he left dying embers on her skin. "I love you Hitomi." His mouth circled around her breast as one of his hands reached down to caress the neglected twin. Hitomi gasped quietly when he did, gripping the sheets with ghostly white knuckles. As his hot mouth descended upon that pink area in the middle of her breast, she couldn't stop from throwing her head back at the feeling

It seemed like he spent an eternity there, circling the tip of his tongue around her nipple before enveloping the entirety of it in the warm cavern of his jaws. Hitomi almost couldn't stand it when he switched over to the other breast, obviously adamant about giving equal treatment to both. What she didn't know was that it was partially a distraction, his focus on her breasts. Because as she soon figured out only a few seconds later, his free hand had wandered down to the area in between her legs, and began to stroke the folds of her secret place at his leisure.

"Van!" Hitomi moaned, falling back onto the bed and digging her heels into the mattress when she felt his burning fingers over her sensitive flesh. The feeling was almost too much for her, and the heat rushed to her legs, slicking Van's fingers more. He grew much more determined and almost rushed a little, now impatient. The demons in his head were screaming at him, begging to be buried deep inside of his beautiful soul mate.

With a pained expression streaking across his face, Van rose to his knees, looking down upon Hitomi with a fierce possessiveness in his gaze. Her skin was unblemished, unmarked and glittering prettily, but Van decided he'd prefer her skin plagued with his love marks. However, the voice in his head was shouting incredibly loudly at him now, screaming that the both of them were much past their limit and he should just hurry up and take her. Van saw no reason to defy his primal instincts and prolong his torture.

He moved between her legs, grasping her thighs with his strong hands and inching them apart. Hitomi's breath hitched in anxiety, but she offered no resistance and allowed him to part her legs, letting his crimsons eyes rake over her delicate folds. But when Van reached out with his thumb, parting her labia to get a better look, Hitomi's hands hurriedly shot down to cover herself, cheeks flaming in mortification.

"No!" She exclaimed, her voice sharp as she tried to wriggle away from him. But Van would not let her back away, his own gaze sharp as he stared unabashedly at the woman beneath him. His hands attempted to gently lift her hands away, but she was stubborn and being very difficult. Annoyed now, Van grabbed her two wrists in one of his large hands, holding them away. The other hand he used to throw one of her legs over his shoulder, and then gripped the other leg to keep it spread.

Hitomi's discomfiture elevated at a staggering speed when Van began to lower his face to her nether lips, eyes dark with hunger. Her wrists struggled against his hand, but it was pointless when the tip of his tongue grazed her nub, sending electric shocks up and down her spine and rendering her virtually helpless to him.

"S-stop… Van!" Hitomi sobbed when his tongue played harshly with her clitoris, her back unconsciously arching as more electricity crackled in her body. Van pretended not to hear her though, kissing down to her womanhood and probing around in search of the entrance. Hitomi was unable to stop her voice rising to a yell of his name and spewing incoherent and broken sentences as his tongue slipped past her labia, tasting her.

'_Pure._' The demon in Van's head whispered pleasingly, and Van couldn't help the surge of satisfaction that ran amok through him. '_Untouched._' The voice continued, and the Fanelian king didn't bother resisting the urge to thrust his tongue roughly into his Hitomi, hurrying to be the first to ever give the young woman a taste of heaven. '_Mine._' Van couldn't help but agree, bringing her as close as he possibly could to her climax before backing away, letting her stew in the unbearable arousal and emptiness.

"Please… please, please, please!!" Hitomi wailed, struggling harder against his hand as her hips writhed and begged for release. She was _so close_. Van just smirked, darting his tongue out to taste the remnants of her addictive fluids. She didn't see it though, so absorbed in trying to reach the height of her pleasure that nothing else mattered. She didn't see him move off of her temporarily, discarding the annoying garments on his body before returning to her.

Van obliged to her pleas, shifting his lower body closer until the tip of his manhood brushed against her. She struggled harder now, desperate and lust-hungry. Van placed one sweet kiss to her trembling mouth before positioning himself properly and surging deep within her.

He could've cried when he felt her muscles squeezing around him, shuddering heavily and trying not to move to let her adjust to him. She had gasped in pain, the tears trickling down her face from the feeling. Van could feel the blood of her virginity trickling out of the place where they were joined, and couldn't help being happy while she was in pain. Because this meant that _all_ of her was _his_, and no one could take that away from him.

The whimper of his name falling from her lips prompted him into action, and he began a slow and leisurely pace. Surprisingly, the king felt no more need to rush. His primal instincts had vanished entirely, and he supposed it was because they were finally _together_.

But his easy pace was killing Hitomi, and she whimpered at him again to urge him on. Van simply chuckled at her, and reached down to rub his thumb unmercifully at her hypersensitive nub. With the combined actions of his hips and his fingers, it was inevitable that she broke apart almost immediately, sobbing his name when she finally came.

Disoriented from the intense climax, it was only until after she regained her bearings that she realized Van was still thrusting into her at a slow and steady pace, grinning roguishly and reaching down to play with her clitoris again. Bending down to capture one rosy peak in his mouth, taunting it to his delight, Hitomi once again fell to her orgasm, the spasms rippling all across her body.

Van watched her recovery, his arousal seeming to swell thicker inside of her and causing him to groan. Figuring he had waited long enough, the king began to pick up his pace, and was soon slamming into her at an alarming speed and a bruising force. She came undone at his relentlessness once more before Van finally allowed himself release, his seed spilling into her. The semen was hot as it surged into her womb, causing Hitomi to faint only seconds after.

She never saw his feathery wings bursting out from his back, as white as the day he was born, not a single speck of black anywhere in sight.

_

* * *

A/N_ And the long-awaited seventh chapter is out! I was so happy with all the reviews I got that I decided to post this chapter five days early~! (Same thing might happen if there are enough reviews for _this_ chapter too...)

Anyways, thoughts, critics? I personally thought I rushed it, but I was trying to keep to the eight chapters thing because of the song verses. Do you think it was rushed?

And no, I did not lie. A Van/Hitomi lemon for all you perverts (which includes me, haha!) so I hope you enjoyed that! I think that was the first lemon I've written in several years, so do you think it was any good? Writing lemons still makes me a bit embarrassed, so this part was the last part I edited. And I kept putting it off because I was so squeamish, lol! So if there are any grammar/spelling errors, point them out to me, please?

Right! Please enjoy this chapter! Chapter eight (and the epilogue) will be out in about five days, but that all depends on reviews. (Wink, wink.)

Until then, have fun!

Snowflake Flower


	8. Verse 8: The Future That Blooms

**Yubiwa**

**Verse 8: The Future That Blooms In Tomorrow**

...

...

...

_Let's promise each other_

_That we'll hold on to the intensity we felt_

_That day,_

_And live the future that blooms_

_In tomorrow._

...

...

...

It was a dream. It had to be a dream.

Van looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms, his eyes trailing over her mussed hair and her parted lips as she breathed in the morning air. His head was beautifully clear and empty, harbouring no sign of the demonic voice in his head that baited him so intensely. All of his thoughts were his own now, which meant his arousal was indefinitely because of him, and not his demons.

Hitomi's eyes fluttered open, and she was met with Van's kind smile in the morning sun. Her heart stopped for a split second when she saw the radiance of his aura, flushing pink after realizing that her dream actually wasn't a _dream_. Van seemed to pick up on her thoughts, grinning roguishly and shifting closer, his hand grazing her thigh while his lips brushed over her neck.

"G-good morning." She greeted with a caught breath, arching her neck to allow him more skin to explore. His teeth nipped at her skin, suckling with ardour as she moaned softly in appreciation. A little red mark was left there as he backed away, and Van couldn't help the burst of pride when he saw Hitomi's green eyes gazing at him through half-closed lids.

"Best morning." Van corrected, cupping her face in his hands and leaving her breathless with several of his passionate kisses. "I love you Hitomi." He murmured against her pliant pink lips, his hand trailing between her legs to stroke her petals. She whimpered slightly, body tensing when he showed no sign of stopping, and even slipping his centre finger into her sensitive core.

"Van… Van I love—" her sentence was cut off when Van bent down, smothering the rest of her sentence with another set of hot kisses. She tried to back away to finish her sentence, but every time his lips would rain down on her again, and she would be left breathless when he finally parted from her.

He thrust his finger into her womanhood, adding another and another until he could feel her body shuddering with the culmination of her peak. Now, with her limbs heavy and her nerves hypersensitive, Van turned her on her front and mounted her, spreading her legs to settle between them. He slid his length along her, grinning when her juices slicked his manhood.

"Van…!" Hitomi gasped, her mouth now free of his lips when Van slowly eased into her. He groaned at the feeling of her vaginal muscles clenching around him, and she whimpered when his arousal spread her apart. With his chest brushing against her smooth back and his calloused hands gripping her hips, Van didn't bother to start slow. The tempo was fast and hard, unmerciful in force and speed. He unlatched one of his hands from her hips and wedged it between her stomach and the bed, searching around to flick at her clit. Her moans grew into shouts, and Hitomi could see nothing else but stars when her orgasm came, wracking her body with violent ripples.

Van panted harshly, groaning when her vaginal muscles squeezed him, and thrust into her a few more times before emptying himself with a grunt. It was difficult, but Van managed to support himself on his elbows to avoid crushing her with his weight, his harsh breaths whooshing against her ear.

"I know, Hitomi." He said, still trying to regain breath. "I know."

...

...

...

"Van, where are we going?" Hitomi asked, led up the stairs leading to the roof by Van's gentle, guiding hand. Her memories of this place bordered on exhausted and ecstatic. Exhausted because this was where Van dragged her infuriatingly quickly up to the roof, and ecstatic because this was where they had truly begun to fall into the ease of fast friends, and something more.

"You'll see." He said, grinning sweetly as the door to the rooftop came into view. He pushed it open, his hand still grasped in hers as he led her to the edges. Once again, Hitomi looked down to see the Fanelian people going about their daily lives, the sound of adults bartering and children playing rampant in her ears. For a second, she was lost in nostalgia until she remembered one particular incident and her neck snapped sharply towards Van.

"You aren't going to throw me, are you?" She asked suspiciously, inching away from the edge of the roof. Van looked taken back for a second before he threw his head back, obsidian hair ruffling messily in the breeze as he laughed. Hitomi was star struck for a moment, listening to his genuine laugh and the sparkle in his eyes when he finally looked back down to gaze at her in amusement.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, drawing a black ribbon out of his pocket and stepping forward to be closer to her. The seer watched the ribbon sway gently in the breeze, and then her peridot eyes flickered up to rest on Van's gentle, loving smile. The decision was almost too easy to make.

With an easy smile, Hitomi stepped closer to him, not touching but standing close enough to feel the heat of his body smother her in its warmth. She surrendered to the feeling of his rough hands sliding through her hair, the cool silk of the ribbon resting firmly, but gently, on her closed eyelids. She felt the little bump at the back of her neck that indicated where the knot was, before her attentions were directed to Van's arms hooking under her knees. He hefted her up almost too easily, but she ignored it in favour of wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling into him.

Van smiled widely as she did so, not stopping the bursting of his heart when it overflowed with happiness. It still all seemed like a dream, but he was incredibly sure that there was no way a dream could ever feel this real. On the off chance it was a dream, he hoped to stay asleep for the rest of his life.

Breaking from his thoughts, Van let his wings unfurl from his shoulder blades, taking off into the day sky. Hitomi felt the elevation in their positions, and horrifically remembered the tainted black that littered a few of his feathers. She unwound one of her hands from Van's neck to try to pry off her blindfold, intent on getting a close look at the damage herself. The king saw what she was doing, and abruptly stopped his flight in midair to try to get her to put the blindfold back down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hitomi!" Van exclaimed, jostling her when he stopped so suddenly. "I didn't think I'd have to say it, but peeking isn't allowed." There was just a tinge of amusement to his voice, but Hitomi would have none of it. Her hand had missed its target when she was jostled, but she tried again to latch onto the ribbon. And she was definitely upset that Van apparently cared nothing for the black of his wings.

"Van, you shouldn't be flying!" She admonished him, getting close to her target. Van shifted his arm, reaching with his hand to grab the knot at the back of her head and pulling it tight so she couldn't rip the ribbon off. "Van!! We can't let your wings become fully black like… like…" her voice cut off, as she couldn't continue and say the name that was almost a forbidden subject between the two of them. Van didn't have any particular reaction to that except to smile and chuckle at her.

"Hitomi, I'm fine. My feathers aren't black anymore." He told her, and her lower lip dropped slightly in confusion. The king could hear the questions even before she said another word, and continued on to clear things up before she went into full panic mode. "I was dying very slowly, but now I'm cured. _You_ cured me, Hitomi, because you decided to stay with me. That's all I needed; that's all I've ever needed."

Little trickles of tears built up in her eyes, but Hitomi quickly stomped them down. After hearing that, Hitomi wondered how she could have been so torn about choosing between Gaea and Earth. How could she have ever doubted him in the first place? They were so irrevocably in love with each other; how could she not have seen that earlier?

"Never say never." She mumbled against his neck, smiling slightly. Van was puzzled as he turned to look down at her, repositioning his arm when he realized Hitomi was content to keep the blindfold on and not ruin his surprise.

"But… I never said never." He replied, even more puzzled when Hitomi began to laugh. After she remarked, "don't worry about it Van", the king went back to flying through the skies, the wind soaring past them and through their hair, tickling their bare skin. It felt like the flight was too short, because Hitomi soon found herself lowered to the floor, something fluttering the skin past her shoes.

"Can I open my eyes now?" She asked, giddy with excitement. Van chuckled, and Hitomi knew that he was standing very close to her, as his body heat smothering her was any indication.

"Yes." He whispered against her ear, and she reached up to push the blindfold off, gazing in wonder at the clear fields all around her, tips of grass tickling her ankles. When she looked up, she could see the faint outline of the Mystic Moons in the sky, and somehow it all seemed very familiar to her. It only increased in that strange nostalgia when she decided to spin round and round, taking in everything was a star stuck gaze.

"Is this…" she murmured to herself, but Van could hear her clearly as he followed her with a gentle, encouraging expression. "Isn't this the place we landed when I first came to Gaea?" Her head whirled around to look at Van's triumphant smile, and Hitomi couldn't help her lips curving into one as well.

"Yes, it is." He replied, stepping so close to her she could feel his warmth again. "Do you know why I brought you here?" Van asked her, and Hitomi shrugged.

"Sentimentality?" Hitomi guessed. "Nostalgia? Reminiscence?"

Van chuckled. "All of those things." He told her. "And… one more."

Hitomi knew that the culture of Gaean countries and Earth countries were undoubtedly different, but the thought of it had never really impacted her quite as much before as it did now.

"Hitomi," Van whispered softly to her, his bare hands gently holding her delicately smaller ones, "be my queen. Marry me."

...

...

...

The halls were merry with excitement as she breezed through them, narrowly avoiding servants rushing by, their arms laden down with bundles of linens or plates and silverware. Despite the harried looks of their face as they rushed from one side of the palace to the other, there was a spark of happiness and enthusiasm that resided in their eyes. But Ophelia supposed that was to be expected, since the king himself was _finally_ getting married.

With a light smile playing at her lips, the stewardess rounded the corner to stand in front of a pair of large doors. Behind it would be the bride herself, prepping for the ceremonies that would take place a little later in the day. With her would be the Lady Merle and Queen Millerna, acting as moral support. Ophelia had come to understand that every woman had what was called "pre-wedding jitters". Stifling back a smile, she cracked the door open to peer inside.

...

"I look beautiful." Hitomi said to herself in front of the full-length mirror, smile wide. "Absolutely stunning. Undoubtedly incredible." She continued, an imperceptible twitch appearing at the corner of her right eye. "I am totally going to knock their socks off." Behind her, Merle and Millerna exchanged puzzled glances at the earthen phrase, but looked worried for their friend despite their feelings for the creepy smile on Hitomi's face.

"Hitomi…" Millerna started, only for the other woman to suddenly whirl on her, eyes aflame and smile wider, twitching very obviously now.

"I'm fine!" She stated with a shrilly voice. "Nothing to worry about! I'm totally calm and cool and collected, and completely happy with everyone at my wedding!" she continued on, the shrillness of her voice not leaving as she whirled around again to stare at her reflection.

"That's what they all say." Merle muttered under her breath, hissing quietly when Millerna elbowed her in the ribs. "I mean, of course you are Hitomi. You're going to become the queen of Fanelia; you _should_ be totally happy right now." And that only seemed to make things worse as Hitomi tittered on, her voice remaining annoyingly sharp. Millerna glared at the cat woman this time, as if to say, "nice going".

"Hitomi," Millerna began, standing up to walk over to the bride and lay a comforting hand on her quivering shoulder, "are you sure you're alright? You know that it's perfectly okay to be nervous." She consoled, thinking back to her own wedding with a nostalgic smile. She was an absolute train wreck back then, if she remembered correctly.

Hitomi looked nervously at herself in the mirror, wondering why she had been so stubborn about keeping her hair short. If she had grown it, there would've been a million different ways to style it for her wedding, instead of just gathering what strands she could and pinning it at the back of her head. If she had _Ophelia's_ long hair…

The seer blinked twice, shaking her head slightly to stop herself from going there. That was exactly what she was trying to avoid thinking about right now. But Millerna seemed to see that split second when her barriers cracked, continuing to prod.

"Hitomi? Is that it? Are you nervous?" She asked, almost grasping at straws while Merle lounged on the daybed behind the two of them, spotting Ophelia peeking in through the doorway but choosing not to say anything. She just turned her attention back to Hitomi and Millerna, watching the former with her sharp lilac eyes.

"A little, yes." The seer admitted, turning away from her reflection with a grimace and sitting down on a vacant daybed, rearranging her skirts so they wouldn't be uncomfortable. Millerna helped her, hands gloved in white silk and rejoicing in her slight victory. Acceptance was always the first step.

"You have nothing to be concerned about." Millerna admonished the bride lightly, smiling to herself. "Van loves you, and you love him. Fanelia adores you, and Gaea worships you. Your marriage is a blessing to us all. You know that, right?" Hitomi nodded again, lips pursed as her head dropped to shadow her peridot eyes. "Hitomi? Is there something else bothering you?" Millerna asked, sighing when the bride stiffened.

"Of course not. Nothing could ever bother me today; how could it?" Hitomi exclaimed, her voice shrilly again as her head snapped up and she hurried to the mirror to gaze at her reflection again. "My dress is absolutely heavenly. Just look at it! The white is so white I swear the maids dropped it in a vat of extra-strong bleach and let it soak for three whole years!" Once again, Merle and Millerna exchanged puzzled glances at the earthen phrase. But Hitomi didn't notice, continuing on with an even higher voice, remarking on the loveliness of her dress and how nothing was bothering her, and everything was wonderful, and—

"Okay, that's it." Merle growled, jumped off the daybed to stalk over to Hitomi, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her sideways so they were face-to-face. "Snap _out of it_!" The cat woman hissed, striking the bride's cheek with the palm of her hand. Millerna gasped, and Hitomi stared at the ground beside her, eyes wide with shock before lifting her head to meet Merle's glare.

"Merle…" She whispered softly, just as the cat woman went off on an angry tirade.

"What is wrong with you today? You should be bouncing off the walls, and fussing over every little thing, paranoid that everything has to look perfect, most especially _yourself_. But you're just saying that everything's already perfect, even though I can see clearly that it isn't!" Merle hissed, her tail puffing up splendidly under her dress. But she calmed down quickly, searching Hitomi's eyes with a slight frown. "There's a reason we're here, Hitomi. And it isn't just to make sure you look like a goddess."

"Which you do." Millerna butt in, smiling at the bride. It took a few seconds, but soon enough the young woman began to cry, covering her mouth with her hands and crumpling into tears on the floor. Quickly, the cat woman and the Asturian queen knelt down with her, rubbing her shoulders in comfort and waiting for her hiccups to die.

"I feel like I'm second best." She said finally after the tears stopped and her voice was relatively steady. "She's so much more beautiful than I am. How could I ever compare?" Hitomi asked. And immediately, Merle and Millerna knew of who she spoke. Merle knew that the source of Hitomi's misery was listening just outside the door, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Van loves _you_ Hitomi. I thought we already cleared that up." The cat woman said, slightly annoyed that they _still_ hadn't gotten past this obstacle yet. But the seer was relentless, turning her head away at Merle's accusation.

"I _know_ that, Merle." Hitomi said, playing with her fingers that almost disappeared beneath the multiple folds of her dress. "But I can't… I can't stop myself from thinking it. I can't stop remembering how _she_ was Van's first woman and not… and not me."

...

Ophelia backed away from the door, as if someone had just pointed a spear at her from the inside of the room, the blade shining menacingly in the light. Her fists were clenched together so tightly in front of her dress, her entire body trembling with some unidentified emotion. Turning sharply away from the door, Ophelia walked along the rest of the hall until disappearing around the corner.

...

...

...

The marriage ceremony consisted of a trek up to the gravesites of the deceased Fanelian royal families and pledging eternal loyalty to the country of Fanelia, Escaflowne, and each other. Once their vows had been made, a priest instructed Van to shed his shirt, dipping his fingers into some blue paint before drawing two diamond shapes onto his forearm, one larger than the other. That was to represent his complete and total faith and loyalty to a single woman.

Next, the priest turned to Hitomi and simply bowed reverently after washing his hands of the blue paint. When she asked him why he was not going to do the same to her as he did to Van, the old man smiled kindly and bowed again. "Wing Goddess, we abhor the idea of permanently besmirching your body with the paint of our planet. Please understand." And then he backed away, heading back to his temple to continue his duties.

Van laughed when Hitomi pouted, and calmed her by taking her into his arms, smiling lovingly at her. Her lips turned up into a smile, and she snuggled into him, letting him lead her to the edge of the cliff where she could see Fanelia clustered between the walls of mountains. Van turned her head to look up at him, leaning down to kiss her and finally (_finally_) seal the deal.

"Van…" Hitomi murmured, too enthralled by the adoration in Van's crimson eyes to notice their guests smiling knowingly at each other and escaping back to the palace. Van just sent her another dazzling smile, taking her fully into his arms to lay another deep kiss to her lips.

"Fanelia is ours now, Hitomi." He told her against her lips, his hands sliding down to rest at her hips. She only recognized the devious smile that burst across face until it was much too late. "So let's go pay it a visit."

Screaming with wild abandon, Hitomi was launched into the air, suspended in the middle of the blinding rays of the sun before falling down, feeling her dress swish violently against her. Van laughed merrily, watching her fall before letting his wings burst from his shoulder blades, taking off into the sky and swooping down to catch her in his arms. He did it relatively simply, even though her voluminous skirts _had_ to have gotten in the way.

Hitomi sighed in relief when she felt Van's strong arms encircle her body, turning her head up to glare at him.

"I swear that if I didn't love you so much…"

Down below, in the city of Fanelia, the people looked up to the sky when a booming laugh reverberated all through the land.

...

...

...

"Miss Clara Loven, daughter of Mister Cuno Loven and Missus Agnete Loven."

Hitomi's eyes lit up when she saw a familiar little girl hesitantly inch her way to the Fanelian King and Queen seated regally at their thrones. Clara, the girl that she had met so long ago in the marketplace, held out a fluffy brown teddy bear whose neck was tied with a blue ribbon.

"To the new Queen of Fanelia, I offer my bestest friend, Fernsworth." Clara said, loudly, but with a little shiver in her voice. Her head dropped remorsefully as she continued to say, "I'm sorry that you gots hurt because of him." Hitomi couldn't help the guilty feeling blooming in her chest, wondering why that sweet little girl could ever think that she was the cause of the scar at the back of Hitomi's thigh.

An attendant started forward to retrieve the teddy bear from Clara, but Hitomi quickly stood up and shouted, "Wait!" Startled, everyone's heads snapped to the seer, who was flushing faintly at the attention but smiling softly at the little girl. She stepped away from her throne, lifting her bridal skirts to walk down to Clara and kneel beside her, a twinkle in her peridot green eyes. Taking the bear in her hands, Hitomi observed it for a second, seeming like she was scrutinizing it, before pushing it gently back into Clara's arms.

"It'll be our little secret, okay?" She whispered, winking at Clara. A bright smile spread over her face, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay!"

Hitomi straightened up, waving goodbye as Clara ran back into the crowd, reuniting with her parents. As the new Fanelian queen made her way back up to her throne, she caught Van's eyes and smiled at him, taking his offered hand in hers and sitting down, letting their entwined fingers stay like that for the rest of the gift-giving ceremony.

Millerna and Dryden were next to come up; their own faces all smiles as they bowed shortly to the King and Queen of Fanelia. The announcer behind them droned on about their titles, but the two couples only had eyes for each other.

"To the new Queen of Fanelia," Millerna started.

"And to the old King of Fanelia," Dryden continued, cracking a smile when Van sent him a withered glare. "We offer the title of godparents,"

"To the unborn child that rests in my womb." Millerna finished it, smiling softly at the gasps and excited cheers resounding through the hall. Hitomi bolted up, caring not for etiquette as she raced down the stairs and hugged Millerna, laughing happily. Dryden left the two women to gush, walking up the stairs to greet Van and shake his hand.

"Congratulations, Dryden." Van said. The King of Asturia smirked.

"Likewise, Van."

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"And so concludes the gift-giving ceremony—" The announced began, only to be cut off when a yell echoed through the large throne room.

"Stop!"

Murmurs ceased, the hall deadly silent as one person emerged from the crowd, a determined glint in her eyes and a sweet smile on her face. Her hair was long and brown, looking limp and dead to the touch. The jade of her eyes were dull, any brightness to them having fled long ago. Her skin was deathly pale, almost translucent in appearance as she presented herself to Hitomi and Van Fanel.

"Ophelia…" Hitomi whispered quietly, her fingers tightening on Van's own. The announcer appeared flustered, stepping forward to ask her name and her station, but Ophelia did not respond to him and Van merely waved him away.

"I bear no physical gift to the new Queen of Fanelia, nor to the old King of Fanelia." Ophelia said, her voice weak but echoing through the room. "But what I am prepared to give to you both is a sound mind, and a complete soul." Confused, Van and Hitomi looked at each other, before back at Ophelia who was smiling kindly at them both.

"Ophelia, I don't understand—" Van started, only to be cut off by his stewardess.

"I am dying, Van." She told him, no one missing on the informality she spoke to him with. "Not of any external or internal illness or injury, but because the reason for my existence is no longer needed." Her eyes slipped closed, and she continued on. "I was not born in the way of which everyone in this room was born, or will be. I was created."

"Created?" Van whispered, and Hitomi turned her head sharply to look at him, seeing his face going pale as he listened to Ophelia. His hand was gripping her incredibly tightly, but she could not feel the pain because of the shock that was freezing every cell in her body.

"By your thoughts, Van." She said, looking at him directly as she spoke. "By the longing and the desire you had to be with Lady Hitomi again. You went so far as to create an image in your mind of her a decade later. Not just her physical appearance, but her as your queen. As your wife. As a woman of equal age." Here, she smiled bitterly. "And you ended up with me."

"How?" Everyone turned their heads to look at Merle, whose eyes were wide with disbelief and denial. Her body was visibly shaking, and it seemed like she would start clawing out one of the tapestries on the wall if she didn't get answers soon. "_How?!_" Ophelia just kept smiling that kind smile of hers, ever calm and peaceful.

"Van is a descendant of the Atlanteans. And the Atlanteans have the power to turn thought—"

"—into energy." Hitomi breathed softly, finishing the other woman's explanation. Ophelia turned back to look at the seer, smiling and nodding.

"Exactly."

"The pendant…" Van spoke up beside Hitomi, his free hand coming to rest on his chest where the pink pendant would be hanging if he had it on. "The pendant is supposed to act as a channel for the draconian thoughts to be transferred into energy. But… I don't have enough power to create a physical manifestation of my thoughts!" He argued, slamming his free hand on the armrest of his throne and standing up.

"But the drag energist does." Ophelia said, watching with satisfaction as the recognition dawned on their eyes. "It acted as the power supply, linking itself to the pendant which then created me in flesh and blood." Here, her smiled began to wane. "But then Lady Hitomi went back to the Mystic Moon, and the connection was severed."

"But I brought it back!" Hitomi spoke up, standing up as well. Despite her initial dislike for Ophelia, she would never have wanted to become the cause of someone else's death. Especially if that someone else had been keeping Van alive until she had come back to cure him completely. "I brought the pendant back, the connection should be re-established, right?" But it seemed she was wrong by the way Ophelia shook her head sadly at Hitomi.

"Once the connection was severed, there can no longer be a way to reconnect it. I am the basis of all of Van's hopes and dreams. I am a part of him just as he is a part of me." And though it went unsaid, Van, Hitomi, and Merle all finally understood how Ophelia could've ever been able to lay with Van in his bed, even though she was not Hitomi. It was because the demons in his head recognized her as Van, and not as another woman. "Once I die, Van will be whole again. Isn't that what you wanted, Lady Hitomi?"

She didn't know how to respond to that.

Ophelia gathered her hands together in front of her skirts, closing her eyes. "You will eventually forget of me. As I am nothing but a physical manifestation of thoughts and dreams, my existence in your minds will wither away soon enough." She smiled softly, her feelings bittersweet as a faint wind began to blow in the room. "But I will still be in your hearts, so I will never completely fade away. I will always be there in Van's soul, so rest assured. You will not be rid of me that easily."

With a teasing smile on her lips, Ophelia took a deep breath and began to sing a sweet, soulful song.

_As my tears keep overflowing one after another,_

_I can't see your last smile through their blur._

_Please don't go, please don't go... Stay here._

_Light bursts through the sky_

The wing began to pick up, blowing faster and faster in the room even though all the windows were closed firmly. They rattled and trembled with the storm that was beginning.

_Even this insignificant me_

_Loved you more than anyone, with all my soul._

_Thank you for all of_

_The precious feelings_

_You've given to me._

Tapestries started to flutter with the wind, slapping against the stone walls violently. Mirrors hanging on the walls threatened to break, the glass shards sprinkling over the floor prettily if they had.

_"When you took off, I was_

_Watching for a long time as the vapour trail disappeared."_

The skirts of all the females in the room began to billow out, and many of them squealed and pressed their hands down on their knees, trying to hold the gowns in place so that the men wouldn't get an eyeful.

_Please don't forget_

_You're not alone._

_Even if we're apart, we can still carry on hand-in-hand._

At the head of all the commotion, Van and Hitomi braved the winds, their hands still linked tightly together as they struggled to near the ever-fading body of the woman named Ophelia, with her tragic smile and her sombre voice.

_With my first love, I first realized_

_That there could be such sorrow._

Hitomi was awestruck for a second when she locked eyes with Ophelia, a gasp catching in her throat when she saw the utter adoration and love that rested in the stewardess' eyes, directed solely at her.

_Even if something lapses away, something will_

_Live once again._

_When you gave me a smile as we parted, it was_

_Your message for me_

_To truly live with all my heart._

The bottom of her gown had disappeared completely, and the rest of her body was growing even more translucent as Van and Hitomi neared Ophelia. The long strands of her brown hair whipped around her, and for a second Hitomi was reminded of a benevolent goddess.

_I just know that we'll see each other someday._

_If we're together,_

_Even if we're far apart, we can gaze in each other's eyes_

_Let's bet everything on all our hopes and dreams._

They were so close now; almost able to reach out and touch her if the wind wasn't blowing quite so hard. Still, the two of them pushed ahead, faltering in their steps when suddenly blank spots appeared in their minds, asking them what they were reaching for.

_Let's promise each other_

_That we'll hold on to the intensity we felt_

_That day,_

_And live the future that blooms_

_In tomorrow._

The voice faded away, and Van and Hitomi stopped in the exact spot of where the voice originated. They looked around, seeing all of their guests doing the same thing they were doing and looking just as puzzled.

"What are we doing?" Van asked Hitomi, turning to her with their hands still clasped.

"I'm… not sure." Hitomi answered him softly, stepping closer to him in comfort. The announcer soon regained his bearings, clearing his throat and announcing that the formal dance would begin in the ballroom, and if they would all kindly make their way there…

The King and Queen of Fanelia watched their guests all shuffle away, not moving from their spot. They stayed in the throne room even after it was completely empty save for the two of them, and looked into each other's eyes. Green met red, and unsure smiles soon evolved into ones of complete happiness.

"I love you Hitomi." Van said, and Hitomi smiled beautifully at him.

"I love you too, Van." Words couldn't express the joy that bubbled in her heart when she was finally able to say it, vowing that she would never let him stop her from saying it again. So with their fingers entwined, their hearts making one whole, and a mysterious feeling of something missing in their light hearts, Van and Hitomi finally took a step forwards.

Forwards to the ballroom where they would dance the night away. Forwards to the voice that seemed to whisper in their ears, "_his name is Folken._"

Forwards, to the future that bloomed in their tomorrow.

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**Epilogue**

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"… and then, the spirit faded away and left the king and the queen—"

"To live happily ever after, right?"

The woman smiled.

"Right."

The boy with the ivory black hair and the mesmerizing forest green eyes looked up to the woman with the long, brown hair and similar green eyes. She smiled softly at him, her gown a simple, pure white that glowed brilliantly in the day sun. Her skin seemed to shimmer in the light, and it was if she had decorated every single strand of her brown locks with some sort of glitter.

"I like that story." The boy said with a resolute tone, as if it didn't matter what she said to him because he was never going to change his mind. But the woman smiled, nodding her head as she circled her arms around the young boy's form, snuggling him to her and kissing his forehead. He immediately pushed back, exclaiming, "Ew! Mommy!" She simply laughed, letting him scramble off her lap.

"What's wrong Folken? You love my kisses, don't you?" Folken kicked at the dirt with his heel, pouting and turning away from his mother.

"Yeah, I do." He admitted with flushing cheeks. "But Sora, and Uncle Dryden and Aunt Millerna are coming over. What if they see you kissing me!" He exclaimed, his tone panicked as he began to pull at his hair in frustration. "If Sora saw you kissing me, then _she'd_ want to kiss me!" He looked appalled at the thought, and his mother just laughed softly.

They remained silent for a while, with Folken still scuffing the dirt floor with his heel, thinking about what to say. He finally turned around nervously, his hands shoved in the pockets of his pants. "Mommy…" He started, ducking his green gaze to the floor and hoping she wouldn't get mad at him. "Are you gonna leave me?" His voice was small, vulnerable, and her heart went out to him.

"Oh, Folken. Wherever did you get a silly idea like that?" She asked, her tone slightly scolding. "I love you more than I love myself. I would never leave you. Never." She bent down and kissed him once more on the forehead, giggling when he scowled and pushed away again, exclaiming, "_Mommy!_" before reverting to his nervous demeanour.

"Well, I heard you and daddy fighting. You sounded really mad…" He ducked his head again; ashamed at telling her that he was eavesdropping when he knew he wasn't supposed to. But his mother simply cupped his cheeks and brought his green eyes to look at her own, and she smiled reassuringly at him.

"You father and I have already made up. We still love each other, don't worry about that." She told him, before backing away and sitting back down on the chair she occupied. Folken beamed up at her, turning around when he heard his name being called by someone inside of the palace.

"Folken!" The voice was deep and commanding, befitting one of a king. "Folken, are you out here?" Van Slanzar de Fanel poked his head out to look into the garden, smiling in relief when he spotted his son standing there. "Oh thank Gaea. Folken, didn't I tell you to go wash up for Uncle Dryden, Aunt Millerna, and Sora?" Folken flushed red in embarrassment, hating to disappoint his father.

"Sorry daddy." The young prince apologized, his eyes darting to the side. "Mommy was just telling me a story." He said excitedly, turning sharply around only to notice his mother sitting on the chair had mysteriously disappeared. Van looked at his son in puzzlement, wondering what the young boy was talking about. "Mommy?" Folken called out, running to the chair and checking behind it to make sure his mother wasn't hiding there. "Mommy?"

"What is it Folken?"

Turning his head to the entrance of the garden, Folken saw his mother standing in the doorway, looking at him quizzically. He rushed to her, hugging her skirts and smiling happily. Hitomi laughed when he rushed into her, picking him up and kissing him on the forehead. He swatted her hands away, glaring at her even though he was blushing slightly.

"Mommy, I thought we talked about this." He grumbled, and Hitomi set him on the ground with another puzzled look.

"Talked about what?" She asked, and he huffed in frustration.

"About kissing me when Sora's here!"

"Aww, how did you know? I was gonna surprise you!"

Folken gasped, whipping his head around to see a young girl with very light green hair and blue eyes. Millerna had always complained about how her daughter had taken her sisters physical traits instead of hers, but young Sora's personality was most definitely her mother's.

"Come on Folken, let's go horseback riding!"

"Hey, don't run so fast you tomboy!"

Oh yeah, most definitely like her mother.

Folken began to run after Sora, but paused and turned around to scrutinize Hitomi. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he scratched his head as he asked his mother a question that would cause a strange feeling of absence in not only her heart, but in Van's as well.

"Mommy, why isn't your hair long anymore?"

**OWARI**

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A/N_ And there it is. The final chapter of Yubiwa. Words cannot describe how much fun (and how much torture) it was to write this. It started as a one-shot, and then grew to phenomenal proportions. I'm just thankful for being able to _finish_ it! And I'm especially thankful for everyone who as reviewed and stuck with me even though things seemed bad. (And that was quite a lot.) It's just sad that this is the end of it all...

Not.

Haha! I just love torturing myself with more work, don't I?

Some time in the future, there will be companion pieces (and possibly a sequel) to Yubiwa. If you look on my profile page, under "Upcoming Fanfictions", you will see I'm planning to write four companion pieces for Yubiwa. None of them are Van/Hitomi oriented, but there will be lots of insight into what happens in the ten-year period on Gaea, and what happens beyond Yubiwa. So look forward to that!

The sequel I'm debating on doing won't be Van/Hitomi oriented either. Rather, it'll be a fanfiction about Folken and Sora, and how they have to follow in the whole footsteps of "saving the world" sort of thing. Sound like a good idea to you? Shall I run with it?

Review, review, review! I do so love reviews. :D

And on one final not, even though I've already said this I think I should say it again:

THANK YOU!!

Snowflake Flower


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